Waiting
by Villana Del Amor
Summary: A death has Matty homeless, leaving her no other choice than to rely on Toretto and his goon squad to take her in. Will this sarcastic, smart mouthed girl fit in with the team or will she push them past their breaking point? Vince/OFC
1. Giving In

**Title**: Waiting

**Rating**: M

**Summary**: A death has Matty homeless, leaving her no other choice than to rely on Toretto and his goon squad to take her in. Will this sarcastic, smart mouthed girl fit in with the team or will she push them past their breaking point?

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the criminally insane mind that conjured this story up and my favorite girl Matty. I DO NOT own the Fast and the Furious or any of the characters in the movie- so don't sue.

**A/N**: Since I am the puppet master in this show, this movie is set before the Fast and the Furious. I hope to tie this story in the movie later on or maybe in a sequel. Who knows…. Also, breaks in the story usually mean some time has passed. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up, this story was typed up after an episode of 24, so expect a lot of Bauer induced typing errors.

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!** I always love to know what you guys are thinking.

**Chapter 1**: Giving In

The day was dark and cold, which stood for what she was feeling. Matilda watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground and sighed softly.

The outskirts of the cemetery was lined with finely tuned imported legal and illegal cars from all over the world. She looked at all the bright colors and then at the crowd of a hundred or so that had shown up at her brother's funeral, feeling overwhelmed. Her brother was very loved and he would be missed. She stared at all the tear stricken faces surrounding her and silently wished she could shed a tear.

Her brother, Hector, was the only thing she had in the whole world and she couldn't even sheda tear for him. She felt dead to everything and everyone.

As the event came to a close, Matilda felt lost. She made her way to her car, ignoring all the people calling after her and the rain falling upon her.

--

She stepped inside the house her and Hector called home and shed her floor-length leather jacket. Matilda stood 5'5" without heels on and was a fierce woman. It was clearly shown in her tattoos, her sense of style, her walk and in her face that she didn't give a shit about anyone. Years of living on the streets had taught her well. She was an independent latina to the fullest.

Matilda, known as Matty to most, was a stunning portrayal of her Mexican and Dominican roots. She never knew her father but thanked him everyday for the beauty she held. She was lightly tanned with a curvaceous body and a killer set of green eyes. From her mother, she got her slightly exotic eyes and her straight jet black, waist-length hair that she kept cut in layers. Most wouldn't have guessed that her and Hector were related, but as soon as they opened their mouths to argue, it was clearly shown that they were family through and through.

Matty sat down on the couch, clad in her black slacks, heeled boots and a white button down shirt. She looked around the cluttered house, hating the silence it held instantly. Her brother was always doing something noisy- whether it was listening to some chicano rap or playing on the PS2 or watching some loud ass action movie.

She willed him to come down the stairs, yelling her name out with a string of Spanish curses after it, but she knew that the 18-wheeler had taken him forever.

Just as the silence was starting to drive her crazy, she heard the doorbell. She got up, wondering who would approach the house unannounced and opened the door.

She groaned inwardly, finding Mia and her bunch of fools on her doorstep. She spotted a covered casserole dish in her hand and almost smiled. _This might no be so bad after all_, she thought to herself.

Matty pushed open her door, letting them in. Out of the six, she was only known for hanging with three- Letty, Leon and Jesse. Letty was the most like her, while Leon was the easy going guy, and who doesn't like Jesse?

The team was dressed in their best attire, courtesy of Mia. Matty smiled softly as she noticed that everyone except Mia was uncomfortable in their current outfit.

They all smiled softly at her and patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you?" Dom said, motioning to the porch. Matty nodded and motioned for him to step outside. "Make yourself comfortable," she said, to the rest of the team, which was an understatement because Vince and Leon already had their feet up on the coffee table. She rolled her eyes and walked on to the porch, closing the door behind her.

She glanced at Dom, leaning against the porch's railing and crossing her arms. "I know me and you never really got along-," Dom began to say. "You got that right," she said interrupting him.

Dom huffed slightly. "Because you have such a smart ass mouth," he said. Matty scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Back to what I came here for. Hector was like family to me, so that makes you like a sister to me. If you need something- anything, you now you can come to me. You need some money, a job or whatever, I got you babygirl," he said.

Matty cringed at the sound of the nickname Hector had for her and suddenly felt her blood boil. "Listen Dom, I don't need no fucking handouts from you or the goon squad. So pack it up and head on home," she yelled.

She pushed open the front door and found the team staring at her wide-eyed. "Get the fuck out! Leave me alone!" She yelled at the rest of the team, before racing up the stairs to her room.

--

Matty sat on top of one of the kitchen cabinets, eating a bag of chips in the moonlight coming in from the kitchen windows. She sighed softly, glancing at the pile of open bills on the table, mainly at the one that read **24 HOURS TO VACATE** in big red letters.

It was six months after Hector's funeral and everything had fallen apart for her. Matty had tried to keep up with the bills with the money from her savings, but that didn't help much. She never realized how much effort Hector had put into running things. He paid all the bills, while she kept a clean house. She thought back to all the times she yelled at him, claiming that he didn't do shit around the house anda sob escaped her body.

She cried that night. Not only for Hector and for herself, but for her future. She knew her options were limited and that above all; she had to start making the right decisions.

--

Matty stood on the Toretto porch, running her hands through her hair. She knew she was stalling the inevitable. Someone would notice her out there and open the door. She fidgeted in her black converses, willing herself to ring the doorbell.

She pushed the button quickly and felt like crawling under a rock at the sound of the doorbell ringing through out the house. She heard footsteps approach the door and Matty fixed the black beanie on her head, for the thirtieth time in the last ten minutes.

The front door swung open and Dominic Toretto came into view. She gave him a weak smile and proceeded to sit down on the porch floor, leaning against the house. Dom followed suit, waiting for her to speak first.

"At first it was easy. I paid with my savings. Then I ran out of money. Then I just asked for extensions. He has a stash, you know, for when he hit the circuit officially, but I can't find it. Then the lights went and then the water and finally the gas. And I got a letter the other day. Eviction, Dom. It read eviction," she said, in a small voice.

Dom stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. He extended a hand, which she accepted. "First, everything you want to keep goes in storage. Then what you don't want, you sell. Next, there's a room in the basement that's empty. It used to be Letty's before we officially got together, so it's all yours. You work at the garage now. Dinner's at seven. Don't be late or Mia will flip," he said.

And with that he was gone. He shut the door firmly behind him and left Matty alone on the porch. Dom was never one for many words, and when he chose to spoke, it either alleviated or doomed all those around him.

As she walked towards her car, a royal blue skyline across the street, she smiled slightly. Dom had alleviated her of so much stress, but at the same time put her in an awkward position.

Share a house with the goon squad or live on the streets? Both options were equal in her mind. "Can't be that bad," she muttered to herself, as she pulled out of her parking space and sped off.


	2. First Night

**A/N: **Thanks to those who reviewed. This chapter was transferred from my notebook in a hurry so there might be some mistakes here and there. This chapter is pretty long for some reason, but I hope you guys like. Lemme know what ya think…

**Chapter 2**: First Night

After showering at a friend's house, Matilda loaded the last bag into her already stuffed car. She glanced at the house she and her brother had called home for the last 10 years and sighed. She fixed the dark blue beanie on her head, before getting into her car and driving over to the Toretto's.

When she got there, five minutes later, she could already smell the BBQ that they were famous for. After parking across the street, she took a deep breath in and grabbed on to the steering wheel. "You have to make this work. It's either this or you go back onto the streets again," she said to herself, before getting out of the car.

She looked down at the outfit she was currently wearing- a dark blue with white capris and white and dark blue air dunks, wondering if she looked fins. Matty felt something move behind her and when she turned, she found Vince getting out of his car. She groaned, not realizing he was there. "Fucking tints," she muttered. "Do you always talk to yourself?"

"Do you always make it your objective to get on everybody's nerves?" She replied, crossing her arms as he approached her. "Actually, I haven't even gotten started yet. I just saw you talking to yourself and decided to stop by. Desperate for conversation aren't we?" He said, a slick grin on his face. Matty leaned against her car and took in a deep breath, looking at the house and replaying in her head the conversation she had with herself just a minute ago.

"Dom told us you would be staying with the team. Mia already yelled at us to be on our best behavior, so don't make this any harder that it has to be," Vince said, grabbing a couple of her bags from her car. "Where you going?" She asked, as he crossed the street. "Come on, I'll give you a tour before I take you to the yard."

_He can't be that bad_, she said to herself, grabbing some bags also and following him into the house. Vince led her through the house and down the stairs to the basement. He quickly pointed out the bathroom and the guys respective rooms. "Dom and Letty moved into his parent's old room, so Leon and Jesse usually bunk up stairs in their old room. So you might just see them when they grab a change of clothes," he said, walking over to the last door.

Vince opened it up, revealing a moderate sized bedroom with a full size bed and a dresser. "It's not much, but you could bring in some of the furniture from your house and make it comfy and shit," he said, placing her bags on the bed. "Move out the way Martha! Vince's décor of dirty tank top over dirty tank top is taking over the world," she said in a fake presenter voice, receiving a growl in response.

He glanced up at her, an angry scowl on his face. Just as Vince was about to reply with one of his brutish lines, she cut him off. "I know your number, Vince. Everyone does, so don't try to play nice. Don't treat me any different than the rest because of what's going on. I'm tired of people feeling sorry for me. Just suck it up and be your normal bitchy self," she said.

Vince grunted and cocked an eyebrow. "You're gonna regret that," he said. Matty scoffed and feigned fear. "Good luck with that," she replied, throwing her bags on the floor. He motioned to the stairs and she followed him, about to make her big debut.

--

To Matty, it all seemed to move in slow motion. The food, the laughing, and the happiness felt weird to her. It had been 6 months since she felt in place and six months since she felt like her old self again. For the last six months, she had been lost, but now felt somewhat at ease with herself.

"You would think the asshole would have a half-assed response to that, but he just took it?" Jesse asked Letty. They were currently in the middle of some story involving a trucker and a nun. Seconds later, Letty's responses brought the table to tears in laughter. "It's overwhelming, but you'll get used to it," Mia whispered, from behind her, and handed her a Snapple. Matty glanced at it and frowned. "Sorry in advance for the bitchy ass comment that is sure to leave my mouth any time soon- but what the fuck is this?" She asked, motioning to the Snapple.

The table quieted down at her words. "You're 19, Matty. Around here, there's only thing we do that is illegal, and that's racing, chica," Letty said. Matty slowly took the Snapple and placed in on the table, a look of horror on her face. She ran her eyes around the table, landing on Dom, for she knew his word was the law the Toretto household.

"I'm fucking 19, bitchy and Hispanic. Last time I checked, I'm not dumb, deaf and blind. So with that said, it's either a Corona with dinner or death for all," she said, reaching for an unopened bottle that was in the middle of the table.

The team watched as she did some weird thing with the underside of the chair, catching the bottle top between the corners and popping the top off, amazed at how versatile she was. She then proceeded to drink half of the bottle in one swig, slamming the Corona down on the table in victory.

The team stared around the table, not knowing what to do next. "Well at least we know she really is related to Hector," Vince said out of nowhere, sending the table into a fit of laughter, when they remembered a drinking competition he and Vince had a couple of years ago.

--

Matty was currently unpacking her bags when she heard the voices at the foot of the stairs. _Races? Tonight?_, she thought to herself, after hearing the conversation. She knew the Toretto ways, hell everyone on the racing scene knew. The whole team, with no exceptions, was to be at the races. They leave together and arrive together. She knew that living under the Toretto roof would place her in a position that she wasn't ready to be in yet.

It had been six months since she had been part of any street race. She felt her stomach toss and turn at the though of approaching any race ever again- the biggest reminder of her brother and of his dreams. She knew it was required on her part, but she would be damned if she would enjoy it.

--

Matty heard the footsteps above her and new it was time. She emerged from the basement dressed in low-rise black leather pants and cut-off black shirt that was held together in the back by four criss-crossed strings. The shirt revealed ample cleavage, a toned back and a toned stomach since it stopped a couple of inches underneath her breasts.

Her make-up was simple- heavy eyeliner, mascara and shiny brown lip gloss. Her hair was sleeked back in a high ponytail, showing off high cheekbones, her long neck, toned shoulders, a mural of various tattoos on her body.

She watched as they drank her in, eyeing her from head to toe. She felt like they could see right through her and straight into her soul. Matty cleared her throat, trying to end the eerie silence that had taken hold of the room. "Take a fucking picture, will you?" She said, heading to the front door.

And with that they were off.

--

Matty sat inside her car, nervous as fuck. She looked through her tinted windows at all the people walking around her and cursed silently. _I wonder how they've been doing it lately. Did they get someone new? How fast did they replace him?_, she thought to herself. She knew that she had to get out of the car before someone came over and made an ass out her.

She took one deep breath and opened the door, climbing out of her car and releasing it slowly. She looked at all the people and her heart dropped.

Everything looked exactly the same as it did that fateful night.

_Show. Warehouses. Races. Cops. Split up. East. West. Truck. Blood. Phone call. Tears. Grief. Death._

It was like a bad remake to her of that night Hector died. The night she died. Tears were slowly springing to her eyes, but stopped suddenly when she spotted Toretto heading her way. Matty quickly closed her car door, and leaned against it.

"Stay by your car at all times. I race. I win. We go home and party. Got it? No drama or nothing like Mr. Pleasant over there," he said, motioning to Vince, who was currently being held back by Leon and Edwin from beating in some guys face. Matty rolled her eyes and stepped up to him. "I live under your roof, Dom. That's it. I'm grown or have you forgotten I've been coming to races since I was little. You have no responsibility with me at all. I'll work for and keep my share just like everyone else. So why don't you keep the pleasantries to yourself?"

Matilda walked away, leaving Dom staring after her, grinding his teeth together in anger. No one never dissed or dismissed him. And whether they liked it or not, he was the king- in the streets and most definitely in his castle.

--

Matty slowly backed herself up on the guy behind her, grinding her ass on to him along with the heavy beat of the music. The Toretto house was currently packed to the max with racers and skanks, sweating and drinking the night away.

In one corner, Matty was dancing with a guy she met that very night and in the other Mia was dancing with another one. Mia winked and nodded at her, making her throw her head back in laughter. _Well look at what we have here. I see that when Dom is upstairs playing with Letty, Prissy Miss Mia becomes a whole other person_, Matty thought to herself, when Mia and the guy walked into the kitchen for a drink.

Matty continued dancing until the song ended and motioned to her dance partner that she need a drink. She wiped some sweat off her forehead and walked into the kitchen, not quite understanding the sight in front of her.

Mia was pinned to the wall by the guy she was dancing with, pleading to be let go. When Matty realized what was happening and how far down the guy's hands were inside Mia's pants, she saw red.

"Motherfucker," she said, getting his attention. She picked up an empty beer bottle from the kitchen table and decked him upside the head, breaking the glass. At the sound of the breaking glass, a crowd began to gather in the kitchen.

Through the pain, the guy lunged at her, but Matty was prepared. She gave him a right hook that staggered him, and then kicked him in the crotch, making him drop to his knees. She made a move to grab another beer bottle but was interrupted by a loud booming voice.

Dom.

With one quick move, he slammed her up against the kitchen wall, her head hitting the wall with a sickening thud. "NOOO!" Mia cried out, but that plea fell upon his deaf ears.

"Didn't I fucking tell you no damn drama?"


	3. Positions and Propositions

**A/N: **Thanks to all those that reviewed. I'm glad that you guys like it so far. Sorry it took me so long to update. I just wanted to get some chapters written up in advance.

**Chapter 3: Positions and Propositions**

Matty slid down the wall slowly, her eyes shut tight, her face full of pain. Dom was pushed out of the way by Mia, who bent down to help her. After checking that she didn't have a concussion or anything serious, Mia stood up and turned to face her brother. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" She yelled at him, her eyes full of fury.

"That girl could've turned her back on me and walked away, but she decided to help me out Dom. That guy was trying to RAPE ME!" She said, placing a shocked look on his face. After recovering, he turned to face the guy, but found him gone.

Vince walked over to Matty and picked her up in his arms. He made his way towards the basement and as he passed Dom he sent him a death stare, letting him know that things were far from over.

As Vince walked down the stairs, Matty glanced up at him, running her hands over the back of her head. She groaned, knowing that there would be a knot there tomorrow. She glanced up at Vince, whose face was full of anger.

As he approached her doorway, she jumped out of his arms. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she felt her head spin. He steadied her and walked her over to the bed. "Lay down but don't go to sleep," he barked at her. She watched him through slit eyes as he tried to make her comfortable on the bed. "Vince, you can stop now. I'm not made out of china," she said.

Vince threw the pillow he was fluffing up at her. "You know you are one bitchy woman," he said, walking out of the room. "Story of my life," she muttered, flipping over on to her stomach, sighing loudly.

--

Vince walked over to Dom, pushing him swiftly. They were currently alone in the backyard, Dom nursing a Corona. "What were you thinking?" Vince yelled at him, a menacing scowl on his face. Dom opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out.

"This is Hector's 19 year old sister Dom! You know- that fat little Mexican that gave you a start on the racing scene when no one else would. How much damage could she really do, Dom? You've seen her and you fucked up, big time," He said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"FUCK!" Dom yelled, throwing his beer on the ground. "You think she'll talk to me or should I give her a day to cool off?" Vince scoffed at his question. "A day? You've seen the attitude she's packing. She's worse then me. Try a week."

--

_When you're born fighting, from that very first breath you take to the last one that you are delaying- it's all you know. It doesn't matter how many people say that you have the skills to make it, because when you have a rap sheet as long as mine and enough pent-up rage as I do, you just don't give a fuck._

_So you went from this straight A student to a small time criminal in a blink of an eye- who cares? It's not like anyone noticed. All they know is the swagger you got when walk or the bitchy scowl on your face. Not the real person you are or what drove you to be the cold bitch you are now._

_Not anyone of them know or understand what it means to be me. Or should I say the shadow of what used to be me?_

_-Matilda always.n.4ever_

--

Matty shut her journal just as Mia walked into the room, a glass of water and aspirin in tow. Mia smiled affectionately at her, extending her arms and passing them to her.

Matty chugged the pills and water down and shut her eyes close, lying down on the bed. Mia stood in front of her for a few minutes before speaking. "Matty?" She asked, in a small voice. "Yeah?" She replied back in a sleepy, mumbled voice. Mia sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her. "Thank you for what you did. I'm so sorry about what happened with Dom. Vince already kicked his ass for me," she said, but it was in vain. Matty was knocked out.

--

"She said she wanted to be treated like the rest of us, Mia. So she's going to work today whether or not she wants to, with or without the drama from last night," Vince said, opening Matty's bedroom door.

He did a double take as he found Matty in the middle of the room, twisted up into the yoga position named the Side Crane. "What the fuck is that?" He asked, walking around her. Mia followed suit also, an impressed look on her face.

"Yoga, Vince, stop talking or you'll break her concentration," Mia said. "Too late, I heard the caveman here barking since he got up. Not quite the morning person are we?" She said, getting out and up from her position.

Mia saw from the corner of her eyes as Vince checked her out in her short black tights and a white sports bra, covered in sweat. She grabbed Vince's arm and declared that they needed to leave for work or that they would be late, as she dragged him out the door.

As soon as they were upstairs in the living room, Mia reached up and slapped the back of Vince's head. "What the fuck was that for?" He asked, ducking another slap she was sending his way. "Don't even try it, Vince. Stay away from her. She's 19 and doesn't need any more shit going on in her life. She doesn't need an ass like you going after her and you can tell Leon that she's off limits too!"

--

Letty and Matty glanced at the car they had just finished putting the decals on and smiled at each other. "BREAK!" They yelled at the same time and threw their tools on the floor. The rest of the team looked at them, shaking their heads. Their break time usually meant that they would be gone for hours at a time and wouldn't come back until they felt it was time.

It had been 2 weeks since Mia's little lecture about Matty to the guys and Matty soon found herself spending most of her time with Letty, seeing as all the guys on and off the Toretto team steered clear of her. This left her feeling a tad uncomfortable.

The girl's jumped into Letty's car and drove over to the nearest McDonald's. After ordering and taking a seat, the girls began to chit-chat, when something Letty said got Matty thinking.

"What do you mean Dom is overprotective of all his girls?" She asked. Through a mouth full of french fries, Letty began to explain. "Back when we first started racing, me and him weren't officially together, so I used to attract a lot of attention from all the other males. He soon put the fear of God in all that dared to even look at me by beating the living shit into some guy from Santa Monica. Ever since then, no one that even remotely knows him will even look at me in a sexual way."

Matty finished off the rest of her food in silence, while the wheels in her head turned. "So Dom might do something like that to me also?" She asked. Letty laughed and shook her head. "You finally figured it out. I was sworn to secrecy but you'd be surprised to know that this time it was Mia who started it. She told Vince and Leon to back off and they in turn decided that if they couldn't have you, no one would," she replied.

Matty laughed lightly and stared out the window. "Tonight, we'll test their little theory, Letty. You tell Leon and Vince and only them, that you're going to party. Invite them and leave the rest to me," Matty said softly.

Letty glanced at her, an eyebrow cocked and a smirk on her face. "How bad?" She asked. Matty's only response was an evil cackle.


	4. Mysterious

**Chapter 4:** Mysterious

Matty leaned on Vince's door frame and watched him, clad only in a pair of black boxers, as he searched through his drawers. "Wear this," She said, startling him, throwing him a bright blue tank that matched his eye color.

Vince caught it and glanced at her. "Wear this also," she said, grabbing a white tank off his dresser and a pair of dark faded jeans off the floor. She walked up to him, coming face to face with him, and held it up for him. He stared at her, wondering what the hell she was doing, and took it from her hand. "Wear your white sneakers," she said, a little smile on her face. She turned slowly, letting her ass rub against him, before walking away.

Vince stared after her- speechless.

--

Matty appeared behind Leon and ran her hand through his hair, eliciting a purr from him. She had seen him with a blonde once, and knew what turned him on.

"Is this what you're wearing tonight?" She purred into his ear. Leon shook his head no as she began to massage his scalp. "You should wear one of those jerseys of yours- a clean one. And maybe shave but don't comb this sexy hair of yours," she said, tugging on his hair softly.

And with that she was gone. Leon sat on the couch, breathing deeply. He glanced at the stairs and laughed before getting up and running towards them.

--

Secretly, she wanted the looking their best, but mostly, she wanted them wondering about her intentions.

Matilda looked into the mirror, proud of herself. She was clad in a black corset, black low-rise slacks and her black boots. Her hair was straight, her lips a shiny pink and her makeup flawless. To finish off her outfit, she placed a pair of Chanel sunglasses on her face.

She heard a knock on her door and Letty entered the room. Matty whistled at her and laughed. She was clad in a black miniskirt, her chunky flame boots and a red spaghetti strap shirt.

"So what did you tell Mia and Dom?" Matty asked. "Mia's upstairs studying like always and when Dom heard Vince was going he didn't care," she replied. The girls cocked their eyebrows and made their way towards the front of the house.

--

After piling into Matty's car, they took a 10 minute ride to the worst part of Echo Park. Leon glanced around and grimaced. "Where the hell are we?" He asked, glancing at all the low-riders and tricked out cars. "My hood, Leon. This is where I grew up," Matty replied, pulling into a driveway.

As soon as they exited, they were assaulted by heavy bass coming out of the house. As they made their way into the house, Vince and Leon noticed all the girls that were checking them out. Soon after, they were being led astray by some half-dressed girls. "They haven't seen white meat in a while," Matty whispered to Letty, pointing at all the girls that were pawing away at the guys.

--

Two hours later, Matty and Letty were out on the dance floor, working up a sweat with some guys. Matty spotted Vince out of the corner of her eyes, motioning for both of them. Matty grabbed Letty and dragged her towards Vince, who had walked into the kitchen.

When they stepped into the kitchen, Vince and Leon were waiting for them. They motioned for them to sit down at the table, which was already set up with four shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. They sat at the kitchen table and glanced at the liquor bottle in front of them, with a wicked grin on their faces. "We're going to play my favorite drinking game- a mix of truth or dare and body shots," Leon said coolly, pouring tequila into the four shot glasses.

"When the bottle stops on you, you pick anyone and ask them to choose between truth or dare. We all know that alcohol holds no inhibitions, so to ante up the fun, a truth leads to a body shot on any one person of your choice and a question. If you are dared and you refuse, it a double for you," Vince said.

Matty and Letty glanced at each other before nodding. Leon spun the bottle landing on himself. "Truth or dare, Matty?" He asked. Matty leaned forward and stared at him, knowing that there was nothing that she couldn't and wouldn't handle.

"Dare, my friend," She replied, staring at him straight in the eyes. "I dare you to let Vince do a body shot on the tattoo of his choice," he said. Matty smiled and quickly faced Vince, who had a look of shock on his face. "You gonna turn down a dare, Coyote?" Letty asked, edging him on.

Vince stood up and faced Matty. She followed suit and faced him, thinking he would choose a tattoo on her stomach or neck or the one above her breasts. He did a quick survey of her and nodded. "Get up on the table, spread your legs and bend over all the way," he said.

Matty cocked an eyebrow, wondering about how he knew about the tattoo that rested very low on her back, almost near her ass crack. Then it hit her- yoga. After clearing the table, she did as she was told, giving Vince a perfect view of her ass.

Vince licked the small of her back, where her tattoo was, following every curve with his tongue. He sprinkled the area with salt and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly over her skin. "This year, Vince," Matty said, uncomfortable with her position.

He placed the lime in her waistband and the shot of tequila near her ass. He ran his hands up her thighs and slowly ran his hands up them, grabbing onto her ass. He bent over and placed his tongue back on her back, sucking lightly, his hands kneading her ass, but he didn't stop there. He proceeded to move his tongue up and her spine, smiling softly when he felt her shudder. _Bingo! Found the spot_, he thought to himself, drawing his tongue back into his mouth, downing the shot and pulling the lemon out from her waistband.

Matty stood up from her position, her face flushed. She grabbed the bottle of tequila and took a long swig before sitting back down. Leon and Letty looked at the intense look on her face and burst out into whistles and cheers.

--

An hour later, the four were shit-faced. Matty watched as Letty and Leon French kissed for the full minute she ordered and busted out laughing when they finally stopped. "I see someone had Apple Jacks before coming over here," Letty said, making them all bust out in laughter.

Matty glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well guys I'm going to go pee, so we can leave before Dom goes bashing some more heads," she said and made her way to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, when she opened the door, she came face to face with Vince. Her first instinct was to say something snappy but the amount of alcohol in her, stopped her.

When Vince crushed his lips against hers, she didn't say or do anything. When she turned off the light and closed the door- nothing. When he threw her up against the wall- she moaned. When she tugged on his hair- he kissed her harder. When he reached for her pants- she froze.

In the confines of that dark room, tears slowly slid down her face. She reached out and touched his tender face, memorizing his curves. _Stupid! Don't cry! What the fuck? You are always a crying drunk fool_, she said to herself.

"Remember Vince, if you can't have me no one can," she whispered.

And with that she was gone.

--

When Matty returned to the kitchen she found Leon and Letty all over each other. "Hey guys, cut it out! Ya'll remember Dom don't you? You know, that big mean ass guy that will rip both of you apart," she said, snapping them out of their daze.

They made their way towards the car, Vince meeting up with them, trying to talk to her, but she simply ignored him.

And that's when she saw him, across the street on the porch staring at her. Matty reached into her pocket and tossed her car keys to Leon- the one who seemed less drunk. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said and walked across the street, without a second thought.

Vince looked back at her, seeing her run into some unknown guy's arms. He cursed himself silently and flopped down into the car seat.


	5. Duels

**Chapter 5: **Duels

Matty walked into the house, just as the team was sitting down to eat breakfast. She was still clad in last night's outfit. Her hair was messy and the love bites all over her body told of the night's events.

"Where were you?" Dom asked, as she walked past them. "Fuck off," she replied, making her way downstairs. Minutes after her descent to the "Bat Cave" as she called it, footsteps followed.

Letty appeared in her doorway, just as she was climbing into bed. "So…who was he? Details, girl, details," she said, climbing into bed with her. Matty sighed and closed her eyes. "He came back for me, Letty. He was gone for all those years and now he's back."

--

Letty listened to the dramatic story that Matty was telling her about her life and hugged her friend. It was sad, much like her own life story. The two sat together that Sunday morning, bonding.

--

Much to the team's surprise, Matty was up early and at the garage before the rest of the team. For the rest of the day, she was energetic, full of life, and optimistic.

She made conversation with all of them, including Dom, which shocked them all. She did a full 180 on her attitude towards the team and it was like she had lived with them since forever.

--

Letty revved up Matty's skyline and groaned at the funny noise it was making. "Girl, this car is finished," she said. Matty slammed the hood down and cursed. "What am I going to do? Everyone is at the garage and I still need to go to the supermarket before Mia gets home and shits bricks," Matty said, leaning against the car.

"It's probably the intake girl. It's just clogged up. Go ask grumpy for a ride to the supermarket, while I try to fix this piece of crap," Letty said. Matty scoffed and looked at the Maxima in the driveway. "Why can't you go?"

Letty looked at her and laughed, remembering the last time they sent her to the supermarket. She returned an hour later with a bag of Doritos and a six pack of Corona. "Maybe that's not a good idea," Matty said, making her way into the house.

Matty made her way down the basement stairs and towards Vince's room. She fixed the beanie on her head and knocked on the door. After waiting a couple of minutes, she knocked again and pushed the door open.

The room was dark and cold. She found Vince stretched out on the bed, still clad in all his clothes. "Vince?" She asked, softly. He stirred lightly and mumbled softly. She called his name out again and he cracked an eye open. "What the fuck do you want?" He growled.

"I need to feed your hungry ass. My car is busted and Letty rode with me. It's either you drive me or I take your car," she said. Vince flipped over and looked at her.

He groaned, weighing the options. He never let anyone drive his car and it was either driving her or starving. Both the options were pretty close but the fact that if he didn't drive her it would lead to Mia kicking his ass, made him choose to drive her.

Vince stood up from the bed, "Let's get one thing straight. No talking whatsoever and no girly shit," he said, stretching out his body. Matty scoffed and pushed him out the door.

As they emerged from the basement, Letty walked into the house. "You guys should pick up some things for the BBQ tomorrow. You know Dom is going all out for Mia's birthday," she said.

"SHIT!" Matty and Vince said in unison. The looked at each other and scowled. "You forgot too?" Matty asked. Vince nodded, picking up his car keys off the coffee table. "Come, if we hurry we can get her something at the mall and stop by the supermarket," she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the front.

--

Vince muttered something explicit as Matty dragged him into yet another store. "Would you rather Mia remember you for getting her something crappy or a perfect present?" She asked.

"You don't even know her size," he whined, motioning to all the clothes around him. "Oh this is for me. You're getting her some jewelry," she said, picking up an outfit and heading to the dressing room.

Luckily the store was empty, making Vince feel a little comfortable around all the girly clothes. He went into the dressing room, waiting outside of her stall door, as she changed. He heard grunts and a zipper give way. He laughed loudly and sat down in a chair that was there for customers.

Matty opened the stall door and came out in a light blue sundress. It was tight, grabbing onto all the right curves. Vince swallowed roughly and took in a deep breath. He felt himself stiffen at the sight of her. He mentally kicked himself for thinking that way about her. "I see someone is trying to stand out tomorrow in a dress that cuts off all circulation," he said, giving her the once over. She tuned around, checking herself out in the mirror.

"Not tomorrow, tonight," she said, heading back to the stall. Vince appeared behind her, stopping the door from closing. "What's the deal with you and homeboy? You spend more time over there than at home with the team," he said. Matty turned around and glared at him.

"He's a good friend, Vince. What's it to you?" She asked, feeling defensive. He swiftly pushed her up against the wall and pushed her hair aside, showing all the hickeys she was sporting on her neck and torso. "Just the fact that every morning I have to see you crawl back into the house sporting those goes to show that he's more than a friend," he said.

Vince ran his hands up and down over her shoulders and proceeded to place soft kisses on them. She pushed him off and slapped him lightly on the chest. Matty grabbed him by the hair, forcing his face close to hers. "Jealous, Vince? That I scream his name out and not yours. That it's his body I sleep next to or are you just plain mad that it's my body you want and can't have?" She hissed at him.

He pushed her off, flipping her around and pushing her up against the wall. He was facing her backside and breathing deeply. He was trying to control his anger while stopping himself from ripping off her clothes and taking her right then and there. But then again, he never knew how to say no to a challenge.

Vince pressed himself against her, pushing his manhood into her. "You feel that?" He asked her, pressing himself harder against her. Matty nodded and began grinding against him. "Yes I want you and if I wanted to I could have you." _He thinks he can get one over me, top this_, she thought to herself.

He moaned softly at the feel of her ass in his lap. Vince grabbed onto her waist and regulated their rhythm, pushing him close to the edge. She began to feel his hand crawl down her thigh and in between her legs. When he found her sweet spot, she began to moan and scratch the wall with her hands.

Suddenly Vince stopped, knowing that if they continued he would go crazy, but she didn't. Matty continued moaning loudly- but this time the moans were fake. Vince took a step back and took in a deep breath.

Matty flipped around, a sick little smile on her face. She took a step and grabbed onto his crotch with one hand and with the other the back of his head. She kissed him passionately, while rubbing his throbbing member. She pulled away breathlessly and licked her lips.

"When you grow balls as big as mine come back and try again. Until then, you're on the sidelines."

--

Matty jumped into the car and threw the jewelry box at Vince. He sped off towards the supermarket and brought the car to a screeching halt. He climbed out, slamming the door shut behind him. Matty followed suit, grabbing a shopping cart on the way inside the market.

They loaded up two carts full of food and spent the car ride home in silence. "Never grab or push me, Vince, it pushes me to the edge, brings back memories and sets me off," she whispered, as he pulled into the driveway.

Vince looked over at her and saw the sadness creep into her eyes. He nodded softly an exited the car, a scowl once again upon his face.


	6. History

**A/N: **I wrote this chapter because I wanted to fill in the details about Matty's past and how it has affected her present and her relationship with others.

**Chapter 6: **History

_Her fear didn't stem from the normal childish nightmares, or from stories of how the Boogeyman lived in her closet. Her terror was delivered straight from those who had sworn to protect and love her. _

_She knew what the footsteps meant and shuddered. The small eleven year old tried to stand still and not run, while her mind of a 25 year old screamed at her to run and fight. _

_She knew the consequences. It wasn't like she had not disobeyed them before. She would run away, they would lie, she would be forced to come back home and she would then meet her punishment._

_Death would be her savior; God was he who had damned her._

_The small girl stood in the closet, her legs trembling with fear, trying to hide herself from anyone's view. But she knew it was in vain, they would find her like always. Her red checkered dress was wet from her cold sweat- pain was near. She chokes back a sob, shutting her eyes tight as the footsteps draw closer._

_She holds them shut, for what she feels like to be forever and when the footsteps stop, she takes in a deep breath. She cracks open one eye and comes face to face with him._

_He was always quiet, sneaking up on her unexpectedly, making her yell out in fear. Her mother always said to keep quiet and to remember her position. Women were to be seen and not heard, and that's where the young girl usually went wrong. _

_Her screams would've pierced the night air, but the mother would cover her mouth and hold her down, while father did as he pleased. The next day her mother would scold her about her behavior. Women should aim to please, mother would always say._

_But the small girl never stopped running and she never kept quiet. It was the faint memory of her brother that had left them years ago that kept her alive. It was a promise that he had made to her in a whisper that kept her sane._

_The system failed her; her parents abused, raped and scarred her, while her life fled from her- right in front of her very own eyes. _

_The small girl had fallen and new that there was only one thing left to do. As she stared at the blood stains on the middle of the bed, she knew she had to leave. The pulsating pain between her legs didn't stop her. She ran that night and found her brother. Everything from that day on was heaven to her._

_She was a free spirit and knew no boundaries. The small girl in the red checkered dress grew up to be a gang banger. She rolled side by side with her older brother- who in her eyes was her one and only idol. She watched his every move and mimicked him. She lived the illegal and fast life right by his side. They were two peas in a pod._

_Even though she was arrested on various occasions and couldn't seem to keep out of trouble, he loved her. He didn't judge her for what had happened in her past. He knew that the scars on her body served as reminders and that she didn't need him bringing it up too._

_The brother always told his sister that she should never stay quiet and that she should always fight. _

_The girl refused to be another statistic. She knew that living on the streets would be rough but as long as her brother kept her safe she was scared of nothing or nobody._

_She was finally safe._

_Safe._

_--_

Matty placed the pen next to the paper, just as Dom, Leon and Jesse walked through the kitchen door. Leon ran over to her, picking her up from the chair and placing her over his shoulder. "Put me down," Matty yelled, pinching his butt. Leon went into the backyard with Jesse following. Seconds later, Dom heard a splash of water, followed by a high-pitched scream.

Dom laughed lightly and shook his head. He watched as the pen rolled off the table and land on the floor. He glanced at the trio in the yard, then to the pen on the floor, finally resting his eyes on the piece of paper on the kitchen table.

He picked the paper up and began to read it, his usual emotionless face turning sad. Dom placed the piece of paper back on the table and sighed. In his mind, his whole outlook of her changed. She went from being the cold hearted bitch he thought she was to the lost and scared child she really was. He exited the kitchen and made his way towards the trio in the back yard.

Dom laughed as he spotted a soaked Jesse sitting on the table. "Please don't tell me that that was you screaming," he said. Jesse wiped the excess water off his face and shook his head. "Worse, she tried to give Leon a nipple ring," he said, pointing to Leon, lying in the middle of the backyard.

Dom laughed loudly, walking over to Leon. "Dude, she came out of nowhere," Leon said, grabbing at his chest. "You deserve worse. Get up. You're making me look bad," he said, nudging him in the side with his boot.

As he was turning around, a bucket of cold water fell upon his head. Dom growled and finished turning around slowly, coming face to face with Matty- who was holding an empty bucket. "Do you know what you just did?" He growled at her.

"Ooooo. Am I supposed to be scared?" Matty said, getting ready to run if necessary. "Yes, but not now. When I strike it'll be when you least expect it," he said, holding up his hands. Matty smirked, showing them that she thought it was a victory, but deep down in side she knew that Dom would get her.

She cocked an eyebrow and nodded her head softly. Matty filled her bucket back up with the hose and nodded to Jesse. "Vince?" Jesse asked. She giggled evilly as they both ran off to the driveway, where an unsuspecting Vince was working on his car.


	7. Fun and Games

**Chapter 7: **Fun and Games

Matty picked up her bucket full of water and smiled evilly. She followed Jesse towards the driveway, where Vince's Maxima was parked. The hood was open and a pair of work boots stuck out from underneath the car.

She nodded to Jesse, who positioned himself next to his boots and waited for her sign. With a curt nod from Matty, Jesse pulled on Vince's boots, pulling him out from underneath the car. He looked up at the duo with a scowl on his face, which instantly turned into a wide-eyed silent scream. "What the fuck?" He yelled, glancing nervously at the bucket in her hand.

Matty giggled evilly, tipping the bucket on to Vince. Jesse jetted towards his car and drove off, at the sound of his loud yell. As the last drop of water hit Vince on the chin, Matty threw the bucket on the ground and tried to break out into a run, but he stuck out a foot, making her fall face first on to the driveway.

"FUCK!" She yelled, grabbing on to her nose. "Shit," Vince muttered, jumping up from the ground. He crouched down next to her and pushed her hands away from her face, peering at the damage. "Stop crying you big ass baby," he said, pulling off his wet wifebeaters. He handed them to her and she glanced at him like he was crazy. "Stop bitching and take it. Let me go put a shirt on so I can take you to the hospital," he said, getting up and walking towards the house.

She followed him inside and down the stairs into the basement, where he simply picked up another wifebeater that was lying on the floor and slipped into it. "No, I don't want to go to the hospital," she said, her words mumbled because of the shirt in front of her face.

"Oh really?" Vince asked, approaching her slowly. Matty nodded her head and removed the shirt away from her face. He grabbed on to her chin softly, tilting her head towards the light. He secretly felt bad about what had happened, his pride not letting him show that he cared too much. Vince pinched her nose together slightly and waited. "Fuck," she whispered, feeling the warm blood that was slowly falling from her nose. "Matty, it could be broken and if it is, you should get it looked at," he said, pushing her towards the door.

He went into her room and began digging through the clutter that lined her desk and dresser. "What are you looking for?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, her head tilted back. "Car keys," he said, yelling victory at the sight of them on her night table. "Let's go before I change my mind," he said, picking her up and flinging her over his shoulder.

"Vince, I really hate hospitals," she said, smacking him on the ass, as they walked up the basement stairs. "So does everyone else, but if your nose is broken, I think you would like to get it fixed, rather than look like a linebacker when it heals all fugly," he said. Matty reached under the hem of his shirt and began rubbing on his love handles, eliciting a purr from him.

"Keep doing what you doing girl," he said, walking out of the house. Vince made his way towards her car, turning off the alarm with the touch of button. "I'm going to put you down now," he said, hunching over slightly. Matty smiled evilly, nodding. As her feet touched the ground, she reached the band of his boxers and pulled on them- all the way up.

Vince froze, taking in a deep breath. He blinked rapidly, trying to figure out the pain that he was feeling in his lower half. "What's the matter Vince?" She asked, a cocky smile on her face. "Get into the damn car," he muttered through clenched teeth, getting into the driver's side of her Skyline.

Matty climbed into the car, leaning the passenger seat all the way back, covering her nose again with Vince's wet wifebeaters. The ride to the hospital was quiet and quick, partly because Vince was still fuming about the amount of material that was between his ass cheeks.

As he shifted the car into park and turned it off, Matty sat up. "Vince," she whispered. He turned and looked at her, fear evident in her eyes. "I'm sorry for the whole wedgie incident," she said, batting her eyes softly. Vince nodded and tugged painfully on his pants. "You're still going," he said, opening the car door and getting out.

Matty followed suit and walked around the car, finding him trying to fix himself. "Here, hold my nose," she said, standing in front of him. Vince did as he was told and Matty looked around the parking garage, trying to see if anyone was looking.

When she was sure no one was, she unbuttoned his pants, lowering them slightly. She pressed her body against his, sliding her hands down his pants, towards his thighs and fixing his boxers. "See all better," she said, buttoning his pants up. She faced him, removing his hand from her face and applying pressure to her nose.

Vince blushed and shook his head. "I've never had a girl go down on me like that, but you're still going," he said, walking towards the hospital entrance. Matty shook her head and stood her ground. "VINCE! I AM NOT GOING, PERIOD!" She yelled, leaning against the car.

He doubled back to her, clearly pissed off. "I really don't understand you. You claim to be independent and grown, but look at you! You won't even go to get yourself checked out. One minute you're happy, the next you are the biggest bitch on the planet. I really don't understand," he said, his arms flailing about.

"They'll stick me with needles, Vince. They'll try to feed me all those drugs and then you'll really meet the bitch within me," she whispered, her head hanging low. "What?" Vince said, stepping closer to her. Matty shook her head slowly and shifted his shirt on her nose.

Vince stepped closer to her, his knee between her legs, his head next to her, and a hand on her waist. "Something you want to share?" He whispered, leaning his head against hers. "Manic depressive, bipolar or some shit, Vince. They'll start talking, asking questions and it'll piss me off. Then they'll get the meds and if I don't take them they'll chain me to the bed like last time, Vince. You can't let them hurt me anymore, please Vince promise," she said, grabbing on to his shoulder.

Vince took a step back and stared at the mess in front of him. Matty's face was dirty from all the dried blood, her mascara was running from the tears she was shedding, and her hair was all messed up.

He placed his hands in hers and they began their walk towards the hospital's emergency room entrance.

--

"Oh my god, I can't believe it," Mia said, staring at the piece of paper Dom had just handed her. "I heard stories about Hector's life before he hit the strip with us but I never imagined some shit like that," Dom said, running a hand over his head. "That explains everything. Hector never having a last name and Matty's attitude," Letty said, taking a seat in Dom's lap.

The team, minus Vince, was sitting around the living room, contemplating what they had just read. "She's always writing in that journal of hers. She probably feels like she can't share her story with any us. We all seem normal compared to all the hell she's been through," Jess whispered, passing the piece of paper to Leon.

"Jess, I want you to do a background check on homegirl. I have to see what else we don't know about her," Dom said. Mia stood up from the couch, a frown on her face. "Dom, this girl has been through enough, the last thing she needs is us digging through her past," she said.

Dom held up a hand to silence her. "One day, digging through other people's past may save you," he said. Mia scoffed and headed to the kitchen, before delivering her response.

"Or it may damn you."

--

Matty's vice grip on Vince's hand never wavered. The doctor came back into the room, holding an x-ray in his hand, a smile on his face. "Well seems to me that nothing is broken. All you'll need is put some cotton up that nose and some ice to help control the swelling. Anything after that should come naturally," he said, writing in her chart.

At the sound that everything was okay, Matty jumped up from the bed and was out the door. The doctor gave Vince an understanding smile and shrugged. "Thanks doc," Vince said, heading for the door. "Wait one minute," the doctor said, holding up a hand. He shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's been here many times for various broken bones. Now did you do this to her? As a doctor it's my responsibility to say something if I think there is any chance of domestic abuse," the doctor.

"Listen here, doctor, she's my friend. Maybe something more in the future, but I sure as hell ain't no woman-beater, so shut it," he said, backing the doctor into the wall. "Hmmm… I thought so. I see the way you look at her and it shows your true feelings. I know you'll take care of her and help her fix all those things that went wrong for her," the doctor said, opening the door for Vince.

The two men nodded at each other and Vince exited the hospital in search of Matty. When he found her, she was pacing the area around the car, her head tilted back and her mouth open. "Matty," he whispered. She turned and faced him, a small smile on her face. "Thanks, V, I mean it," she replied. He walked up to her, taking her hand in his and giving it a small squeeze.

"When you're ready, I'll be here."


	8. Fear Is Where The Heart Is

**Chapter 8: **Fear Is Where The Heart Is

Jesse sat on his bed; the dark room was softly lighted by the glow coming off of his laptop. He typed furiously on the keypad, cursing every so often. He stopped suddenly, reading the screen intently.

He was currently hacked into the local hospital's database, looking up Matty's medical records. When he first met her, he recognized something in her that he saw in himself. He didn't know if it was the lonely look in her eyes or the slight fear she kept at bay, but there was something there.

Through her hospital records, he found her mother. Her medical records claimed that she was dead. She had died at the age of 35 from blunt force trauma- the murderer was never found. While her father's medical records stated that he was still alive. Manuel Ricardo Alonso. At the sound of that name, bells and whistles went off in his head, but he couldn't recall why.

Jesse stood up from the bed and exited the room, making his way towards Mia's bedroom. He found her stretched out on her bed, a med textbook in her lap. "Mia, who's Manuel Ricardo Alonso?" He asked, his hands trembling slightly.

"Umm... some famous attorney guy, makes judge in a while. Why?" She asked not bothering to look up from her book. By the time she finished her sentence he was already down the hall. "No reason. I heard about him on the radio," he replied, slamming his bedroom door shut.

Jesse found himself in front of his computer again, digging further into Matty's life. He lifted an eyebrow slightly, upon seeing the different amount of times she was taken to the hospital. Most were for bruises and broken bones, the last couple drawing him in further. Psychiatric evaluations.

There it was. The connection that had bonded them together. Jesse thought that she was nice to him because of his "condition" but he realized that she too had a "condition" like him.

He printed out what he had found out and proceeded to Google her father. He clicked a link that seemed interesting and almost giggled to himself. One of her father's main points in his campaign to run for judge was putting away the street races that endangered the city streets. "Dom's going to shit bricks," he said, but thought about it.

Sharing Matty's information with the rest of the team would be violating her trust. Dom would confront her and he wouldn't like the fact that her father was a lawyer/soon to be judge, let alone one that was trying to get rid of racers.

He looked at the printouts, knowing that he could easily lie and say that he only found the bruises and broken bones visits, but then again Dom was his family. He had taken him in when he had nothing, much like they had done with Matty.

He stretched out on the bed, thinking his dilemma over. Betray his family or betray someone that's in his similar situation- which would be like betraying himself. Jesse glanced down at the printouts and folded the papers in half. He took in a deep breath and placed them in between his mattresses- secretly hoping that what he was doing wouldn't make shit worse.

---

Matty stretched out on the bed, closing her eyes. She felt like she was suffocating, her nose was still clogged up with a wad of cotton and her room was hot as hell. As her bedroom door opened up, she popped an eye open and sighed softly.

Letty entered the room and shut the door softly behind her. "Hey chica, how you living?" She said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, stretching herself out. "Life sucks pretty much," Matty replied. The other girl scoffed and grinned from ear to ear. "Tonight's the big night, girla. You really think he going to pop the question?" Letty asked.

Matty shrugged. "I'm scared, Let. What if he asks me and I freeze?" She asks, shaking her head softly. "What is there to be scared of? This fine ass man asking you to marry him, move you out of this shit hole town and to a better place?" Letty said, standing up from the bed and stretching her body out.

"In a sick, twisted way, Let, I feel safe here. This is what I know right now. If I move, I'll have to give all of this up. I hate change, Letty," Matty said. She felt a rush of movement near her, and popped an eye open.

Matty watched as Letty ran around the room, collecting stuff. She placed the sundress that she previously bought on the bed and began pulling out jewelry from Matty's dresser. "Stop bitching and just flow with everything. Just cause you might move out of the hood don't mean we ain't going to see each other any more," she said, grabbing Matty's leg and pushing it off the bed.

"Now shower, change, and let Mia come down here and do your hair and makeup. You gotta knock this guy's drawers off," Letty said, exiting the room. Matty stared after her, an eyebrow cocked. She stood up and looked in her mirror. "Ain't nothing a little makeup won't cure," she muttered, grabbing her towel off the back of the door and heading towards the bathroom.


	9. Nerves

**Chapter 9: **Nerves

Matty stood on the corner of the block, dressed in her light blue sundress, her arms crossed over her chest. She heard footsteps approach and turned. Letty made her way towards her, clad in one of Dom's shirts and a pair of his boxers. "What are you wearing?" Matty asked, her words clearly slurred.

"It's four in the morning, ain't nobody going to see me. What happened? You scared me with that phone call," she said. A sob escaped from Matty's mouth as she thought about the night's events.

"He left me, Letty. He lied and left," she cried out. Letty held her friend as she cried and began to make their way towards the house.

--

"Get up," Letty whispered at Matty, who had decided to sleep on the basement floor. "You can't sleep here! Get the fuck up!" Matty shook her head no and began to lay down on the floor.

Letty heard the bed springs in Vince's room squeak, followed by a string of curses. "You're going to get it. You woke Coyote up," she whispered to Matty.

Vince's bedroom door opened and he stepped out, clad in boxers and a wifebeater. "What the fuck?" He asked, finding Matty with her skirt over her head and Letty standing next to her.

"I'm thinking maybe a fifth of Walker," Letty said. Vince sighed and walked over to them. "I got this," he said, picking her body up from the floor by force. Letty nodded and made her way up the stairs.

Vince made his way into her room and placed her on the bed. "See, Vince, no more hickeys or nothing," she said, pulling off her dress and stretching out on the bed. That's when he noticed the bruises on the middle of her back.

"Matty, what happened to you?" He asked. He reached out and ran his hand over her back. Matty winced and pulled away from him, her eyes full of pain and fear. She pulled the covers over her body and turned away from him.

"Matilda, tell me what happened," he said, sitting down on the bed. She shrugged simply and ignored him. "Don't make me love you, Vince. Everyone I love goes away, so just leave me alone," she said.

_Matilda, what happened to you? What drove you to be this way?_, Vince thought to himself. "So that's what it is? You act like a bitch, keep everyone away from you because you're scared to love and let anyone close to you?" He said.

Matty flipped over and looked at him. "Have you lost someone before Vince? Do you know what it is to live off of someone else because you have no where else to go? Have you thought about killing yourself because you're too scared to live life by yourself?" She asked.

Tears streamed slowly down her face and Vince nodded slowly. He climbed into bed with her and drew her into his arms, against her will. "Do you really think that I live here in Dom's dingy basement for my own health? Do you think that I want to put up with Mia's constant bitching and Dom's orders for fun? Matty I'm just like you. Maybe even worse because I've been here for years," he whispered, softly.

--

"This isn't right Leon. Come on. Dom's been your dawg for years. This is fucked up," Letty whispered as Leon's hands roamed under her shirt. Leon currently had her pushed up against the side of the fridge, their bodies hidden by the fridge's shadows. Seconds later, Letty was pushing Leon's boxers down, reaching inside.

Suddenly Letty froze, hearing the pitter patter of something. "Letty?" A deep voice called out. Leon looked up, a look that screamed shock and fear clearly placed on his face. Letty shook her head softly and gulped. "Yeah, Dom?" She asked, slowly arranging her shirt. "What are you doing down here?" He called from the dark doorway.

Letty stepped out from her position next to the fridge and walked towards him. "I couldn't sleep, came down to get a glass of water and then I just started looking out through the window," she said, throwing her arms around his neck. "Well come upstairs and give me a massage," he said, making his way towards the stairs.

Leon waited until they were gone until he let go of the breath he was holding. He arranged his boxers and ran a shaky hand through his hair, breathing deeply. He made his way downstairs and locked himself in his room, cursing the day he hit puberty.

--

Vince glanced at the clock and then back at Matty, who was asleep in his arms. He smiled softly to himself and reached over to the night stand, turning off his alarm. As he turned back to her, she snuggled against his chest, digging her face into the crook of his neck.

He ran his hand up and down the middle of her spine, rubbing his face against hers. Matty murmured against his face, her hand reaching up and entangling itself in his hair. "What are you doing?" She mumbled, stifling a yawn with her other hand.

"Showing you that there's nothing wrong with being with someone and not being scared that they'll be gone the next minute," he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Matty froze and backed away from him.

The events of last night came flooding back to her, a tear sliding down her face. "Take your time, Matty. Whether you learn it with me or with someone else, you gotta learn to be truly happy. Let go of your past and deal with the present. It's the only way to be able to catch up with the future," he whispered.

"I think we should get up and go help Dom. Today is Mia's day and you know she ain't doing shit. I think that after everything settles down around here, maybe me and you could go sit around somewhere and work on our pasts," she replied. Vince nodded softly, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Matty stood up and exited the room, leaving Vince alone with his thoughts. He knew that Matty was in a vulnerable position, but there was something there that called out to him. He saw so much of himself in her and regretted having to deal with things by himself.

He leaned back into his pillow and closed his eyes, his hands clasped behind his neck. He thought about how good it felt to have a warm body in his bed that wasn't looking forward to anything. Would it be wrong if he asked her out on a date?

He stomach churned at the thought of actually going up to her and asking her officially out. Vince recognized the feeling and scowled.

He was nervous.


	10. Misunderstandings

**Chapter 10: **Misunderstandings

Matty stood in front of the kitchen window, elbow deep in soap suds and dirty plates. She stared out the kitchen window intently as Dom paraded Mia around in a backyard full of people. Leon manned the grill; while Jesse and Vince made sure that everyone was seated in a chair and had enough beer to make a 300 pound grizzly pear pass out.

Letty walked into the kitchen, perching herself on the kitchen counter next to the sink. Matty passed her a towel, which she accepted with a scowl on her face. Letty began to dry the dishes while Matty scrubbed and washed them, contemplating if she should speak her mind.

"Matt, can I ask you something?" She said, checking to see if anyone was around. Matty raised an eyebrow in response, and kept her eyes focused on the dishes she was working on. "Let's say, hypothetically, you had a friend who was cheating on her boyfriend of four years with his best friend, what do you think she should do? If she feels guilty about it, I mean," she blurted out in a quick monotonous rhythm.

Matty stopped washing the dishes and flicked her eyes on to Letty. "Letty are you banging Vince?" She asked. Letty busted out laughing, falling off the counter and landing on the floor. She grabbed on to her sides, rolling over in laughter. "Have you seen, V? All that facial hair and the tattoos… It's not my cup of tea," she said, in between fits of laughter.

"What's wrong with V?" Matty asked, a small pout on her face. It was Letty's turn to freeze and stare Matty down. "You like him, don't you? You guys never did share on what happened on your trip down to the hospital," she said, standing up from the floor and leaning against the counter.

"If not V, then that leaves Leon. Letty, how could you?" Matty whispered, getting back to her dishes. "It's been happening for a while, even before you showed up. It just started us hanging out and then Dom started pulling more hours at the garage, so I just started spending all my time with him and ya know…"

"Spare me the details, Letty," Matty said, shutting off the sink and placing the last dish on the dish rack to dry. "There's a problem, Matty," Letty whispered, her eyes focusing on the ground in front of her feet. "What could be worse then the fact that you've been in love with Dom your whole entire life and that you are banging Le on the side?" Matty asked, throwing her dish rag on the counter.

"I'm late," Letty whispered, her voice choked by a sob. Matty did a double take. Her ears had to be deceiving her. "How long?" Matty asked. "A month." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You told any of them yet?"

Letty shook her head slowly and wiped the tears off her face. "What did Mia have to say about all of this?" Matty asked. Letty laughed dryly. "Mia may be my best friend, but she's Dom's sister first. There is no way in hell I'm sharing this one with her," she said.

"You want to take a trip down to the corner store?" Matty asked, grabbing her bag off the kitchen counter. Without waiting for a reply from Letty, she stuck her head out the back door and waved Vince down. "Hey, me and Letty are gonna go down to the store and get some stuff we need for dessert if anyone asks. We'll be back in a few," she said.

Vince reached out and touched her elbow with a gentle hand and a soft twinkle in his eye. "You want me to come with?" He asked. "Umm... It's that girly stuff you made me promise not to talk about or buy in front of your presence," she whispered, giving him a peck on the cheek and ducking back inside.

The two girls made their way towards Matty's car, each getting into their respective sides. "You really did a number on V," Letty said as Matty pulled out of her parking space. "Whatever comments you have to share on whatever it is that is going on between me and V, please keep to yourself," she replied, coming to a hard stop at a stop sign and pulling on a pair of shades.

"So what exactly happened last night with lover boy?" Letty asked, slouching in her seat. "Lover boy wasn't going to ask me to marry him. He invited me out to a romantic dinner and took me back to his place so that he could tell me that while he was gone on the tour with the army, he got married and had two kids," she spat out through clenched teeth.

Matty pulled a hard left, sending Letty into the car's door. "Angry much?" Letty said. The other girl laughed sadly, her eyes tearing up. "After he decided to tell me to kick rocks, we got to yelling, and then it turned physical. He slammed be into the table a couple of times and I decided to drown my sorrows in the nearest local bar," she said, coming to a skidding halt in front of a pharmacy near the store. "Geez… sounds like you had an interesting night," Letty said, climbing out of the car.

--

The two girls sat on the edge of the bathroom, staring intently at the little white stick that was sitting on the counter. Letty eyed her cell phone, willing the clock to run faster. As the clock beeped that time was up, she lunged for the stick, only to be stopped by Matty.

Matty took the stick out of her hand and held it behind her back. "Think about this Letty. If your pregnant, what will you do?" She asked. Letty blinked rapidly at the girl and took in a deep breath, resuming her prior position on the edge of the bath tub. "I guess I'll tell Dom it's his," she whispered.

"And what if the baby comes out with green eyes, a bad tan and blond hair?" Matty asked, pulling the white stick out from behind her back. "Just tell me what it says," Letty urged her on. The other girl stared intently at the white stick and smiled. "Negative."

Letty dropped to her knees and yelled out a silent prayer. Matty threw the pregnancy test on the counter and did a small dance. "Maybe this is a sign from God, Letty. Don't fuck with what you got if you don't want to lose it," Matty said, smiling.

Letty stood up from her position on the floor and picked up the pregnancy test, lying on the counter. She grabbed toilet paper from the roll and began to roll it up to dispose of it, when she noticed something. She went wide-eyed at what she realized.

"I think you read this wrong."


	11. Family

**A/N: **Hmm… See I made a little boo boo. Since my plot had Hector's character die I didn't think to calculate Hector's presence at the races with Brian showing up. So due to the fact that this is an alternate universe that is based on my sick, twisted mind, Hector was never there and that some other Mexican guy with a last name that he couldn't pronounce was the one that organized the races. Enjoy!

**Chapter 11: **Family

A soft knock on the door startled the girls. Letty glanced at the door nervously and almost screamed. The bathroom door pushed open and Mia stuck her head through, glancing back and forth between the two girls.

"What's going on?" She asked, stepping into the bathroom. Matty stepped in front of her, leaning against the sink, trying to cover up the pregnancy test that Letty had thrown on the counter. "Nothing much, just having a little chat," Letty replied nervously, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"A chat, you say?" Mia said, an eyebrow cocked up. She entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her, leaning against it with her arms crossed. "My dear Leticia here doesn't do chats, so spill whatever you got between the two of you," she said, glancing at Matty.

Matty shook her head softly and shrugged her shoulders. As Mia looked at Matty, her eyes caught a glimpse of something behind her back in the mirror. With a swift move, she took a step towards Matty and reached behind her back, grabbing the pregnancy test and returning to her previous position. "Hmm… seems you guys we're having a very interesting conversation," she said, "Now which one of you is pregnant?"

Letty took in a deep breath and opened her mouth, but Matty interrupted her. "Me," Matty said, crossing her arms over her chest. Letty shut her mouth quickly and nodded, deciding to go along with whatever Matty said. "I haven't told anyone yet and I would appreciate it if you kept this little bit of news to yourself," Matty said, pushing Mia out of the way and storming out of the bathroom.

"What's her problem?" Mia asked, handing Letty the pregnancy test. "She's just nervous and shit,' Letty said, following Matty's lead after trashing the pregnancy test. She knew Matty had put an end to Mia's questions indefinitely, but time and her body would be at war in a couple of months. She had to decide what to do now.

---

Dom glanced at his baby sister as she walked around the yard chatting with everyone. If it was one thing Mia did best, it was charming the heck out of people, while he just brooded. He brooded about everything- Letty, the garage, Mia, the house, the races and bills. The list went on and on. Usually the brooding would occur underneath a car that he would be working on, during a movie with the team or sometimes in bed after Letty fell asleep, but today it wasn't working out.

He sat down in a chair far off from the crowd, a Corona in hand and a scowl on his face. A soft breeze swept through the yard, making something catch his eye. He turned and found Vince and Matty sitting on the back steps. She was currently sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck and her head tilted back in laughter. Leon and Letty, along with Jesse were sitting in front of them, laughing along also.

Dom felt a twinge inside of him, feeling slightly nostalgic. It had been a long time since he had felt like breaking down at the fear of losing his family like he had done three times before. Twice, when his mother and father died and then when he got locked up. He was homesick even when he was home. His parents should've been there with them, laughing and drinking away the night.

He stood up, stretching out his body. Dom glanced at the Corona bottle in his had and sighed. "I need to stop drinking," he muttered, throwing the bottle on the grass and walking over to his girl, his arms instinctively around her waist.

--

Matty sat out on the hood of her car, staring up at the dark night. She glanced down as the last of the guests drove off, silence falling onto the block once again and glanced back up to her sky. She heard footsteps approach her and stop. "I remember when Hector and me used to sleep out on the roof of our house and stare up at the sky, talking about all the things we were going to do with out lives," she whispered, shutting her eyes softly.

"He would always talk about his dream car, then the circuit and how I would be his mechanic. Him the brains and I the brawn. Haha… whaddya think 'bout that?" She asked softly, a sad laugh at the end. "I think that it's still possible," a voice whispered.

Mat scoffed loudly, recognizing the person behind her- Dom. "You make it seem like you're gonna be here the rest of your life. I don't keep the guys here, Matty. I offer them a home and my friendship," he said. "What do you mean it's possible?" She whispered, sitting up.

"You definitely need some closure Matty, trust me, I know about this. Make Hector's dream come true," Dom said. She faced him, staring into his eyes, realizing he wasn't kidding. "What's your closure Dom?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Dom sighed and climbed onto the hood of the car. He stared fidgeted with his hands and then glanced over to the garage.

"There's a Charger in there that my dad drove like it was a kid riding a bike with training wheels, while I can't get the balls up to shift it. It scares the shit out of me, Mat," he whispered. Matty threw an arm around his neck and leaned her head against his.

"I'll make you a deal Dommy. When you get the guts to drive the Charger, I'll get the guts to make the circuit. Deal?" She asked, stretching out a hand. Dom glanced at her hand before placing his in hers and shook it softly.

"Now let's get inside before Mia flips out," she said, jumping off the car. Dom followed suit and laughed to himself. "What you really want to say is that let's go see what Vince is up to," he said. She slapped him on the back and pinched him.

"Do not!" She yelled, running up the steps. Dom pulled her back from entering the house and stared intently at her. "Watch yourself, Matty. I know you and Vince are still trying to test the waters between the two of you but watch yourself. He's not a person to take lightly," he whispered.

"Dom I think you're starting to treat me worse then what you treat Mia," she replied, a small smile on her face. "Oh don't you worry. Once in every 5 years or so, there comes along a fool that thinks he can actually get some play from my sister without having to go through me. I spared Vince's life because he's a good mechanic and an even better racer. The next one might not be so lucky," he said winking, his baritone laughter rocking through her body. Matty shook her head softly and laughed, walking into the house in search of Vince.


	12. Out In The Open

**A/N: **Typed in a hurry so please excuse any mistakes.

**Chapter 12: **Out In The Open

"Do they normally drink so much?" Matty asked Mia, as they leaned against the kitchen doorway. It was another weekend, meaning another race, which of course gave Dominic Toretto another reason to party. "Pretty much," she said, passing her a Snapple and while taking a sip of her own.

The girls watched as the guys sat around and knocked back glasses full of whiskey, not even bothering to grimace at the fiery burn of the liquid. Letty appeared between the two girls and leaned her head on Matty's shoulders. She glanced down at the unopened bottle of juice that was in Matty's hands and chuckled. "You think this is funny?" She asked, shoving the juice into her hands.

Letty turned serious, very quickly and shook her head. She opened the Snapple bottle and began to drink it. "Thought so," Matty said in a menacing voice. Mia looked over at Letty, shocked and spit out the mouthful of juice that she had.

"There's a first time for everything," Matty said, getting a Corona from the kitchen and passing it to Mia. She scrunched up her face and shook her head softly. Matty popped the top off and passed it to Letty. "A hundred bucks for each Corona you down," Letty said, swaying the bottle in front of her face.

---

Vince burst through Matty's bedroom door and found her sitting down on her bed. She stood up rapidly, coming toe to toe with him. "What the fuck-," she began to say, but he pushed her down on to the bed with a swift poke on her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" He asked, his words clearly slurred.

She looked up at him with a confused look on her face, forgetting about the lie that she had made up to save Letty's ass. "Mia drank 3 Coronas and she's singing like a canary," he said. Matty burst out laughing and Vince glared at her.

"I feel like I have the best relationship with you than anybody else in this house. You showed me that day that we went to the hospital that you aren't just Dom's guard dog or his little sidekick. That you actually, believe it or not, have feelings and that you can be sober sometimes," she said, a small smile on her face.

He nodded and scowled. "That still doesn't explain why the hell you hid this from me?" He said. Matty walked over to the door and shut it. She pushed him down on the bed roughly and reached underneath the flimsy mattress, retrieving a bottle of tequila. She took the cap off and took a swig, passing it to him.

Vince stared at her and shook his head. "If you don't want the baby you don't have to do this, Matilda. There's adoption and other things but don't hurt it like that," he said, placing the cap back on to the bottle after taking a swig himself. Matty snatched the bottle from his hand and sat next to him, staring intently at it. "I'm not pregnant," she whispered.

"Don't lie, Matty. Mia told me about the pregnancy test and Letty almost shitted bricks when Mia told Leon about it. They automatically looked towards me, like as if I knew something about it," he replied. Matty shook her head and placed a hand on his well-muscled shoulder, thinking about how they would flex if he were to touch- she blinked rapidly, clearing out the perverted thought that was flying through her head.

"Mia walked in on me and Letty while we were waiting for the results. She saw the stick and I took the heat," she said. Vince glanced off into the near-distance and scrunched his eyebrows together. "If not you then that means Letty's pregnant and if Letty's pregnant, why would she want to hide that? Unless she…" he said, trailing off.

Matty nodded and uncapped the bottle, passing it to him. "Oh brother," he whispered, taking a swig. "So who's the other guy?" Without thinking twice, Matty replied with Leon's name and instantly regretted it.

Vince went wide-eyed and stood up from the bed, letting the bottle drop to the floor. "That fucker!" He yelled, making his way towards the door. Matty sprung up from the bed and ran to block his exit. He gave her a look that would usually scare the hair off of any punk that took one look at him, but Matilda wasn't intimidated. She returned one that matched his.

He took a step back and took in a deep breath. "That's my friend since we played in the sandbox, Matt. How am I supposed to ignore the fact that I know that his girl and his best friend are banging each other?" He asked. "Vince, you're a little drunk right now. Think about it, what if this kid is Dom's? Do you want to cause him all that heartache for no reason?"

"This is so wrong and you are not bringing me into this," he said, walking forward. Matty stood firm in her position in front of the door and pushed him. "Don't do this Vince. Give Letty some time to face him herself," she said, pleading with him. Vince watched her and almost felt like giving in, but past experiences had taught him otherwise.

He shook his head firmly and crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a look that dared her to argue with him. Matty sighed and took a step towards him. She held her hands up, a sign of defeat and sighed. "I tried," she said. Vince dropped his arms and his face softened.

Matty licked her lips and took in a deep breath. With as much quickness as she could muster, she reached up and grabbed Vince by the hair, lowering him down to her level and kissed him. As their lips danced together and their tongues melted within each others, Vince's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her body closer to his.

She felt her heart pounding rapidly as he sucked on her tongue gently, his hand massaging her lower back. Matty pulled away, breathing heavily and took a step back, right into the door. She glanced at Vince, who was also out of breath and wondered where the hell this was going.

Within in seconds, they were wrapped up in each others arms. Vince had Matty pinned up against the door, his mouth ravaging her neck, making her whimper. What had started out as a plan to distract Vince from the matter at hand had just turned quiet serious.


	13. Worry

**Chapter 13: **Worry

_Meanwhile… Upstairs in the kitchen…_

"I cannot believe it," Leon said to Letty, passing her a bowl of chips and heading over to the fridge for some more Coronas. Letty nodded her head slowly, her stomach churning softly at the thought of Mia's confession getting to the ears of Dom, who was currently too drunk to even process that she had just blurted out that Matty was pregnant.

She leaned against the counter and began to take in deep breaths. She knew that she had to tackle this head on before it got any worse. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, hanging her head softly. Leon let the door of the fridge close slowly, staring at her wide-eyed. "Tell me you're fucking with me," he said.

She shook her head and looked up at him. "Sorry but there will be no more fucking. All of this shit is happening because we started fucking each other in the first place." He placed the beer bottles on the table and walked outside to the garage, leaving her alone in the kitchen. She followed suite moments after, a sour taste in her mouth.

Letty found Leon pacing in the garage, muttering quietly to himself. She sat down in an old car seat that they had pulled out from a beat up Honda Civic that they were repairing on the side. "Dom doesn't know yet. Mia found out and Matty took the heat until I decided what to do," she said.

He stopped pacing and faced her, a bewildered look on his face. "What do you mean until you decide what to do? There's nothing to decide. It's Dom's and that's final!" He yelled, leaning over a workbench and gripping on the edge of it.

"Have you forgotten that you and Dom look nothing alike Leon? What if this kid comes out with green eyes? Huh? How do I explain that to him?" She said, shaking her head nervously. "Tell him some great grandmother had green eyes or some shit, but the fact that me and you fucked can't get out, Letty. I will not let my life get ruined for a simple fuck," he said.

Letty stood up and glared at him. "A simple fuck, Leon? That's all it was?" She said, turning and heading for the door. "Letty," he whispered, but it was too late. She was already running towards the house.

--

Vince reached underneath Matty's ass and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him and threw her arms around his neck. He walked them over to the bed and sat down with her still around him.

Vince pulled away from her embrace and breathed in deeply. "As the mature adult out of the two," he said, while Matty arched an eyebrow, "one day. A whole 24 hours Matty and I'll stay shut. You spend 24 hours with me and I won't tell a soul." She looked down at him, not believing that it was that easy. "That's it?" She asked.

He nodded and ran his hand over her chest, pressing on her nipples. Matty arched her back and moaned slightly. "That's it," he said, looking down at his lap and at the erection that sat there. He looked up at her and found her staring back at him. In her eyes Vince saw an uncertainty that lied that there and Matty read fear in his.

As they bent down for one last kiss, Letty burst through the door and stopped short. "Sorry," she mumbled and ran away, but not before Matty caught sight of her tear streaked face. "Go get her," Vince mumbled, palming another breast and motioned for the door. Moments later they heard an engine start and a car pull off. Matty climbed off of V and grabbed her keys.

"I need a cold shower and some sleep. Don't forget about your 24," he said, standing up from the bed and walking out the door. Matty exited the room and stared off after him as he walked into his room with a swagger that only he could pull off. She ran out of the house and jumped into her car, tire marks in her place.

--

_Hours later…_

Letty walked into the house, her reddened eyes announcing the amount of distress she had been in over the last couple of hours. The house was pitch black and it was messy. Beer bottles were everywhere and it looked like Mia wasn't sober enough to start kicking people's asses for the mess.

She made her way up the stairs and into her and Dom's bedroom, where he was stretched out in the middle of bed. "Letty," he whispered, as she stepped into the room. "Yeah," she replied, stripping out of her clothes and climbing into the bed. "Where'd you go?"

"The house was too crowded so I went for a drive. I ended up back at the garage and I fell asleep out on the couch in the back room," she whispered, snuggling into her pillow. "Oh. Matty went out looking for you. Did you see her?" Letty pulled up the sheets to her chin and took in a deep breath. "No, Dom. Her car's not in the driveway or in the street. So she's probably out with her friends from the hood or something. Now go to sleep," she muttered, not giving it a second thought.

--

Vince climbed out of bed with a major hangover headache from the sunshine that was coming in through the window. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand that read 12 o'clock in the afternoon. That house was silent, meaning that everyone else was still knocked out. He smiled softly at himself thinking about what today meant. Matty had to dedicate a whole 24 hours to him.

He walked out of his bedroom still dressed just in his boxers and made his way towards her bedroom, intending to wake her up, piss her off and leave once again, but to his surprise she wasn't home. Her bedroom was exactly how they had left it yesterday and nothing looked undisturbed.

Vince walked up to the living room and glanced out the window. Her car wasn't there. "Breakfast or shopping or whatever the fuck girls do so early in the morning," he muttered to himself and he headed into the kitchen for the phone. He dialed her cell phone and was sent straight to voicemail. He began to worry.

He climbed the stairs two at a time and pounded down Dom and Letty's door. A few moments later the door was yanked open and Dom stared at Vince furiously. "What the fuck is it?" He growled.

"Did Letty see Matt last night?" He asked. Dom shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. "Well I just thought you should know that her car's not here, she hasn't come home since she left and I called her phone and I keep getting her voicemail," Vince informed him.

Dom shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "And?" He replied. "What do you mean and? It's 12 o'clock, Dom. She's been gone for a long time, even for her. You know that when daylight breaks she always comes home." Dom glanced at his friend and noticed that he was totally serious and truthfully worried about her. He recognized a spark of something in Vince's eye and took it to be genuine care.

"I'll get my pants."


	14. Lost

**Chapter 14:** Lost

Vince stormed through the front door of the house, throwing his keys on the coffee table and slumping on to the couch. "No luck?" Mia asked, walking into the living room from the kitchen. She passed him a glass of water and some aspirin and sat down in the LAZBOY chair in front of him. Vince shook his head and downed the meds, grimacing at the headache that was starting to grip him.

"Maybe she found some friends and hooked up with them," Mia said, but instantly regretted it when Vince turned towards her and stared her down. Seconds later, Dom and Jesse burst through the front door. Dom's face held a scowl but Jesse's held a scared look- the duo intriguing Vince.

"You found something?" Vince asked, standing up from the couch and facing them. "I called a friend of mine over at the precinct. I just wanted to check if her car had been picked up or anything, but it turns out that Matt was pulled over for a speeding ticket," Dom said, sitting down on the couch.

Vince looked between Dom and Jesse and frowned. He took in Jesse's tense posture and the fact that his body was shaking and instantly knew that something was wrong. "What are you not telling me?" He asked in a murderous tone. "Jesse hacked into the police department database and he found out that the arresting officers had reported to central that they were taking her into custody to transfer her to the county hospital," Dom replied.

Vince shook his head and balled his fists up. "I want to see her," he said. Dom stood up from the couch and motioned for Mia and Jesse to leave them alone. They got the message and left the room, leaving Dom and Vince with each other. "Supposedly she was speeding and the cops pulled her over. When they did they claimed that she was bruised and battered. They thought she had been beaten up or worse, raped, so they took her in," Dom said, placing a hand on Vince's shoulder and staring at in him the eye.

"You believe that fucking lie? She left this house fine, Dom. We were downstairs and we were…" Dom shook his head and took in a deep breath. "It sounds fishy to me. Matty's capable of taking care of herself. The officers were male. Matty's been around cars since she was young. The speeding shit was probably a lie to get her to stop, but what really tipped me off was this," he replied, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a computer print out.

"What the fuck does this have to do with anything?" Vince asked, his eyes scanning the print out. "Manuel Ricardo Alonso is a prosecuting attorney in this state. He's made enemies with the worst criminals in the freaking state and he isn't known as one of the friendliest people in the world either. Vince, Alonso is Matty's father."

Vince stared up at Dom, not believing what he had just heard. "You think that maybe these police officers were crooked or some shit?" Dom shrugged his shoulders and took in a deep breath. "Anything's possible, Vince. I'm just laying out all this shit on the table, trying to make sense of it myself."

"I want to see her," Vince mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face and shaking his head softly. Dom nodded and grabbed his car keys off the table, motioning to the door. "What do you feel for this girl Vince? Don't build her up for shit. She's Hector's sister. I feel like she's a responsibility to me," Dom said.

"Fuck you, Dom! This girl is it right now for me. Forget Mia and every other girl that even grazed my fucked up life. She's the only that fucking isn't scared of me. She'll go toe to toe if necessary. She deserves someone to have her back," Vince replied. Dom shrugged and headed for the door, letting him walk through first. "I think yall got a good thing going. Let's try to salvage what's left of it." Dom shut the door behind him and they walked off towards his car.

--

Dom glared daggers at the police officer that nodded at him curtly. He detested authority with a passion and would do anything and everything in his power to piss them off. He glanced at Vince, taking in the waves of nervousness that was rolling off of him. The officer stepped aside from the doorway, letting him walk into the room first. Dom motioned for him to go first, knowing that his friend needed some time alone.

Upon Vince's entrance into the room, his heartbeat slowed down. It seemed to him like the world had stopped to focus on the fear that was exploding inside him. It was moving slow enough for him to take in every little detail that surrounded him. She wasn't hooked up to any machines, which was a good sign, but she was utterly quiet.

He took a step forward and tried to put a smile on his face, not wanting her to know how much he worried. Matty was currently dressed in a hospital gown, her hair loose and covering her face. She was lying on the bed on the side, her back facing the door. "Matty?" Vince whispered upon reaching the bedside. She stirred and mumbled something underneath her breath.

V walked around the bed and tried to look at her, but she kept covering her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, ceasing all movement. "I don't want you to see me," she whispered, shrugging his hand off. "This is me, Matt. There's nothing that you could possibly do or say that would scare me off and you know it," he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Matty pulled her hands back from her face and faced him. His stomach churned at the sight of her. Matt's face was completely swollen. How she survived a beating that bad brought tears to his eyes. "You in pain? Do you want me to get the nurses to give you something?" He asked, running a hand over the top of her head. She shook her head.

"I want to go home. I want the questions to stop. I don't want no more medication. I want to be alone," she muttered, turning away from him. The room turned deadly silent, the only sound was their beating, but Vince was sure that you could hear how hard his heart was pounding.

"I'll see how soon we can take you home," he muttered before exiting the room. He found Dom sitting outside the room in a chair, falling half asleep. Vince walked over to him and kicked his chair with his foot. Dom sat up rapidly and glared at him. "How bad?" He asked. Vince slumped down into a chair next to his and ran a hand over his face.

"Bad as shit, Dom. She's fucked up, Dom. I don't know if we'll be able to fix this," he whispered, groaning. Dom placed a hand on his friends back and patted him softly. "Come on, let's go see if we can take her home. I don't think a private space and some of Mia's chicken noodle soup will be so bad right about now for her," he said, getting up from the chair.

--

V and Matty walked into the living room, Matty leaning on V's body for support. The house was deadly quiet as they made their way towards her bedroom. "Where's everyone else?" She asked in a soft voice. "Mia made them leave for a few hours. She didn't want them to overwhelm your or some shit," he muttered, opening her bedroom door and helping her in.

He sat her down on her bed and retrieved a duffel bag from upstairs. Vince opened it up and pulled out a small white paper bag. He pulled out different bottles of pills and some tubes of crème. She glanced at him as he laid them out on his nightstand table.

When he was done he turned to her and stared at her intently. He didn't know what to say or do except what the doctor instructed him to- monitor her medication and her dressings. "Let's cut the bullshit here, Mat. Doc said I have to make sure you take ALL your medication. The choice is yours," he said, motioning to her nightstand. She nodded and lay back slowly on the bed, closing her eyes. "Holler if you need anything."


	15. Acceptance

**Chapter 15: **Acceptance

Matty groaned softly, as her hand found the side of her face. She could clearly feel the raised bumps from the fists that had collided with her. Matty shifted in the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position that didn't put pressure on her body. Although the room was dark, the moonlight flooding through the basement's small window allowed a little clarity into the dark, damp room. She froze, catching an outline of a body in the room with her, her hands grasping at the sheet separating her from him. "Relax," a deep baritone voice said.

She instantly eased, her mind relaxed at the thought of it being Dom. "We need to have a little chat," he said, stepping out from the corner and walking over to her. Dom pulled up a chair next to the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Jesse spilled the beans about your father and who he is. Vince told me about the meds. Is there anything that you need to tell me?' He said.

Matty glanced over at him and rolled her eyes. She swallowed a few times, her mouth dry and sour from the meds. "Is there anytime when you're not a complete asshole?" She replied, reaching for a bottle of water on the nightstand. Dom scoffed and passed her the bottle after noticing her wincing. "Vince is out there pulling his hair out by the roots. It's up to me to keep my family together. What exactly happened that night?"

She opened her mouth to offer another quirky remark, but when she began to process what she could remember, tears sprung to her eyes. Dom shifted from the chair over to the bed and motioned for her to sit up. With his assistance, she did, placing herself in his arms. She placed her head on his shoulder and cried softly as he rubbed her back.

After she had quieted down a bit, they separated staring intently at each other. "Don't tell, Letty. She thinks it's genetically impossible for me to be even remotely nice," he whispered, a small smirk on his face. Matty grinned softly, glancing down at the floor. "I wasn't speeding, Dom. They pulled me over and the rest you know," she whispered, wiping the tears from her face.

"I know how you feel, Matty. Everyone will try to show compassion and understanding, but I know how you feel firsthand. It wasn't easy being locked up for two years like a caged animal," he replied. Matty glanced up and they locked stares. "My dad used to beat us like a dirty rug. He would sexually abuse me and my mother. That's why Hector left. That's why he always had a last name he couldn't remember- he couldn't even bear the fact that he was related to any of us. That's why I left. My father is a man that gets away with everything because he has connections. My mother would file reports and they would disappear mysteriously."

She took in a deep breath and sighed softly. "And the racing?" Dom said, placing a soft hand on her knee. "Ever since little, Hector showed an interest in cars. When he grew up he fell in love with them and when he left he dedicated his life to them. My father found out one night when the cops picked him up for street racing down by the piers. They took him home and they went at it. That was the last time they ever spoke. Cops would keep picking Hector up on purpose, even when they didn't have any reason to. They would lie and make up shit and my father would sit back and not defend him," she replied.

Dom nodded and stood up from the bed, stretching his weary body out. "After a couple of bad experiences in jail, he decided that he was going to hit the circuit. He was going to make it big so that no matter how much our dad tried to keep him down he couldn't, because the public would have his eyes on him."

He stared down at her, his eyes slit. Although he was hiding what he was thinking from her, she could tell by his demeanor that it wasn't good. "Just give me a couple of days, Dom. I'll get better and I'll move out. I don't want to bring any more drama to the team. I won't let my father ruin another life."

Dom neither denied nor confirmed her assumptions. He simply nodded some more and exited the room, leaving her alone with her vengeful thoughts. Matty felt her heart drop at the thought of leaving the same haven she had called home for the last couple of months.

* * *

_Sorry it took forever to update. School has been kicking my ass. But expect more updates soon!_


	16. Trying

**Chapter 16**: Trying

Vince flopped down and Matty walked around the living room, picking up the various beer bottles that littered the living room. It was three weeks since her encounter with the cops and she was slowly returning back to the old Matty they all knew and loved. The first week she spent it cooped up in her room, only eating when Mia brought down food or Vince forced her to have a cheeseburger that he would bring her after work. The second week she emerged from the darkness and began to interact with the team, but they all watched her carefully.

Any loud sound or unannounced touch would make her jump and soon after she would retreat back into her shell. The team tried to be there for her, but Dom insisted that she get her space. She'll come around eventually, he claimed.

Matty picked up the last Corona bottle and placed it in the garbage can she had dragged into the living room. She sat down next to V and placed her head in his shoulder. "Do you think Dom will ever grow up and stop having these out of control parties?" She asked, sighing. Vince laughed, sending shivers through her body. "The garage and racing is his 9 to 5, while partying is his hobby. You can't take away what the man loves to do. It'll be a love suicide," he replied, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I want to thank you Vince, for everything. I know it's not easy to put up with me, but God has given you a talent," she said, snuggling up to him closer. Vince froze, butterflies in his stomach at the sincerity that he heard in her voice. No one was usually that nice to him, not even Mia when he bent over backwards to get in her good graces. He was also feeling guilty at the dirty thoughts going through his head.

She felt his body stiffen and Matty looked up at him, a questioning look on her face. "What's on your mind?" Vince cleared his throat and tried to come up with a good answer. "Nothing." Matty separated from him and stared him down. "Vince, I'm not made out of china. It's been almost a month since the incident. You can talk to me," she replied.

He leaned over and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, taking in her sweet smell. Vince brought his mouth over to her ear and nicked softly at her earlobe. "I want to show you that not every man is bad. I want to show you how it feels to be loved. I want to feel you by my side again, the real you," he whispered.

Matty pulled away from him and stared into his immense eyes. She admitted to herself that his warmth felt good and that it was true, not all men were the same. She nodded to him and took his hand in hers. She led him downstairs into his room, grimacing at the mess that had taken over the room. "Excuse the mess," he muttered, beginning to move the pile of clothes off the dresser and the bed. "What for? We're only about to make some more," she whispered.

When Vince turned around, he came face to face with a very naked Matty. He swallowed hard, pulling off his tank tops. They both stepped towards each other, their lips becoming one. Vince's hang began to run up and down her back, rubbing away all the tension that had built up between them. She found her hands in his hair, tugging gently.

Soon after they, fell upon the bed, their lips never breaking contact. She stared into his eyes, feeling the passion that he was feeling for her. They collapsed upon one another, struggling for air. She rolled off of him and lay down by his side. "Are you sure you want to do this, Matty? I'll wait years if I have to," he said, bringing his hand to her face and running it up and down the sides. She nodded and smiled. "Just take it easy with me, Vince. I'm broken," she whispered, tears slipping out from her eyes.

Vince sat up on his side and shook his head. "Matilda, you're beautiful inside and out. You've always been beautiful. I wouldn't have been here all along if I didn't want to be with you," he whispered, brining his face towards hers. He kissed her on the lips and began working his way towards her sweet spot.

She gasped at the amazing sensations that were running through her body at that moment. She pulled Vince up and smiled. "Make love to me, V." He grinned and placed himself between her legs after placing a condom on himself. He placed an arm underneath her neck and after positioning himself at her entrance he braced himself with the other one.

"I love you," he whispered, as he dove into her. He dug his face into the side of her face and kissed her cheek as she whimpered in pain. Matty clawed at his back, as searing pain ripped through her lower half. "I know baby, I know it hurts. It'll stop hurting in a few, just relax," he whispered in her ear. She nodded and began to sob quietly.

Vince began to move his hips slowly, trying to ease the pain and soon found her moving hers along with him. "Are you okay?" He asked, staring into her eyes. Matty nodded and gasped slightly, as he picked up the speed. "I love you too," she whispered, grabbing onto his hips and pushing him deeper into her.

He growled and the rest was history.

---

Vince emerged from the basement, with a scowl on his face. He came face to face with Leon, who had a smile on his face. "Seems like someone was up late last night," he said, passing him a cup of coffee. "Last night? Try I just went to bed 4 hours ago and I was supposed to be at the garage an hour ago," he muttered, grabbing the cup of coffee and downing it.

"So… tell me all about it," Mia said, placing a plate of pancakes on the table and motioning for him to sit. He sat down and stared at her. "I don't mean tell me about the sex, tell me about the talk you guys had," she replied, rolling her ass. Vince shrugged and began to rip the pancakes apart. "How do you know we talked and didn't just spend the whole night having mind blowing sex?"

Mia scoffed and poured him a cup of orange juice. "Because Vince, not matter how much of an ass you really are, you have a heart," she said, slapping him in the back of the head. He glared at her and gave her the finger. "We talked about everything and how she was dealing with getting back to normal," he replied after finishing off the pancakes.

"Have to go before Dom rips me a new one for being late again," he said, standing up and exiting the kitchen. He grabbed his keys off the coffee table and left the house, walking around the street towards his car. As he turned to get into the driver's seat, he caught Matty exiting also, walking towards her car. "Where you going?" He yelled across the street, startling her. She glared towards him and gave him the finger, before walking over to him.

"I have some unfinished business with my dad. Do you want to come with?" She asked, a hopeful look on her face. "Do you think that's smart, Matt? You're just getting over what happened, this could open up a whole other shit load of problems for you."

Matty shook her head and leaned against his car. "No, I'm TRYING to get over what happened Vince, and this is a major part of what happens next in my life. So you can either come with or I'll drive myself." Vince shrugged and motioned for her to get into the car, knowing he had no other choice.

---

Matty banged on the door for a second time and waited patiently for an answer. She knew it was too early for the bastard to be out and about. She glanced back to Vince, who was leaning against his car, watching her. Moments later, the heavy oak door in back of her opened. She turned and came face to face with her father, Manuel.

"Matilda," he said, opening the door wider, motioning for her to come in. She shook her head, thinking back to the conversation her and Vince had on the drive to the house. If she were to enter the house, he would break down the door and drag her out. "Manuel, I think we need to discuss some things," she replied, taking a step back.

"How about you have some respect and learn to call me father?" Matty scoffed and smiled at him. "You've never been a father, so don't expect me to start treating you like one," she replied, glaring at him. "What do you want? Why are you here at this ungodly hour?"

"I'm here to tell you to keep your dogs away from me. If you're bored, go fuck with someone else, leave me out of it," she barked at him. Manuel looked at her with confusion and shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied.

Matty stared at her father and took in how the years had aged him, but underneath it all he was still a cold-hearted asshole. "You had cops pull me over, beat me and rape me, you fucker," she yelled. Manuel slapped her across the face, but she retaliated with a fist to his. Vince ran across the street towards them, a grin on his face when he found Manuel grabbing on to his face. He protectively placed a hand Matty's waist and stood at her side. "I had nothing to do with what happened to you," he replied, standing up and facing them.

"Just like you didn't rape and beat me when I was a kid," she yelled at him, spitting in his face. Manuel froze and glared at her. "So this is what you've been doing all these years? Street racing and hanging out with these tattooed punks that will take you nowhere in life," he yelled back.

"Well sucks for you because I love this tattooed punk and I'll probably get married to him and we'll probably have kids. So you'll just have to live with the fact that those kids will also be tattooed street racing punks and they'll be running around calling you grandpa," Matty said, before grabbing Vince by the arm and dragging him towards his car.

When they jumped inside and pulled off, tires screeching, Vince had a huge grin on his face. Matty glared at him and slapped him on the shoulder. "Explain to me what's so fucking funny?" She barked, strapping herself in. Vince glanced over to her and chuckled. "Did you mean what you said back there?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't push your luck Vince. We still have to get through the end of the day, let alone the rest of our lives."


	17. Frustrated

**Chapter 17**: Frustrated

Matty placed the plate of mashed potatoes on the picnic table and took her seat next to Vince. He placed a hand on her thigh and rubbed it lightly, glancing over at her and smiling. She smiled back and placed a kiss on his face, his whiskers running shivers through her body.

"Let's try something different tonight and not have to wait for Jesse to get impatient enough take the first piece of chicken," Dom said, throwing an arm around Letty and kissing her. He picked up his beer bottle and raised it, the rest followed suit.

Dom glanced around the table before speaking. "This is a true family. We're not all related, but this is the true definition of what a family should be. I wish my parents were here to see how we all turned out-including our new additions. Things are just getting back to normal but there is no doubt that drama will soon follow. It's what we do best, get into trouble and get each other out of trouble. We always have each other's backs and that's what we have to thank God for." The table cheered and brought their drinks together.

Matty glanced across the table and caught the guilty look that Letty was giving her. After dinner, the team filed into the living room to watch a movie. As they began to settle in, Letty motioned to the kitchen and Matty detached herself from Vince's side. The duo walked into the kitchen where Mia was waiting for them.

"Tell her, she can't do it," Mia said, throwing a dish towel at Letty. "Tell her she can't do what?" Matty asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. "She wants to have an abortion, Matilda," Mia whispered, glaring at Letty. "You can't kill this baby, Let. Just tell Dom the truth and I'm sure you guys can work this out," Matty said.

Letty shook her head and stepped towards them. "How am I supposed to tell him that I slept with one of his best friends? It'll destroy him. He already noticed I was putting on some extra weight. It won't be long before he catches on. I have to deal with this now, before someone else fucks up and tells him. He's the only one in the house that doesn't know. Eventually there'll be enough alcohol in the house for it to slip out."

Matty shook her head and held her hands up. "If you do this, I'll have no part in it. Remember that he was just out there an hour ago talking about how we were a family and how we always had each others back. Dom isn't that much of an ass, everything will work out," she said, walking towards the door. "I'm with Matt. If you have an abortion I'll tell Dom the truth. Everything!" Mia said, brushing past Matty and into the living room.

Letty stared after, tears running down her face. "You have to understand, family is everything to Mia. There's a 50 chance that this baby is Dom's. She just wants her family," Matty said, before exiting the kitchen and heading back to Vince.

---

Dom ran down the basement stairs and kicked open their door. Vince jumped up in bed, glaring at Dom. "Dawg, what are you doing?" Vince yelled, covering up Matty with the sheet. "Letty's pregnant! I'm having a baby!" Dom yelled, running out of the room and back up stairs.

Vince stood up and closed the door. Matty watched him as he crept back into bed naked. "So I'm guessing she decided to keep it a lie," Vince said as he snuggled up to her side. "It was either that or an abortion, which Mia and me were so against," she replied. Vince sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you think that was wise?"

Matty shrugged and closed her eyes. "Maybe, maybe not. Either ways the baby shouldn't suffer for her and Leon's stupid mistake," she replied, pulling the bed sheet closer to her body.

"True, but what happens when the baby is born and it looks nothing like a Toretto. You won't have to pick up the pieces."

---

As the weeks went on, Dom began to shower Letty with so much love her stomach began to churn at the sight of him. "I can't work past 2 o'clock, he wants me to work at the store, I have to fight with him to let me go to the races and he won't allow anyone to come within 5 feet of me," Letty muttered, slamming down dishes on the table.

"Motherhood agrees with you," Mia said, placing a casserole dish in the middle of the table. "Leon refuses to speak to me and he barely even hangs out with us anymore. Dom is starting to wonder," Letty said, flopping down into a chair. Mia sat down next to her and smiled. "You can't have your cake and eat it too, you know," she replied, passing her a Snapple bottle. Letty groaned and watched as Vince came into the room, throwing himself into a chair also. "Bad day?" Mia asked, passing him a Corona bottle.

"There's not enough alcohol in the world to make me understand what's going on with that girl," he muttered, chugging the bitter liquid down. Letty shrugged and made her way to the back door. "I'll round the guys up for dinner," Letty said, disappearing into the backyard.

"I thought you guys had gotten back on track after everything that happened," Mia said, placing napkins at each respective seat. "We had, but for the last couple of weeks we've been at each others throat. One moment we're just laughing and the next we're going at it. She doesn't want to go out or eat or anything. She just wants to sit around watch television, read books and sleep. That's it," he said. "You think maybe she needs to see a professional, someone she can talk to?"

"I miss her, Mia. The old her that would make me laugh and would keep me on my toes." Vince shook his head and glanced out to the yard. "Maybe she just needs a good talking to. Maybe her and Jesse could work things out," he said, standing up from the chair and walking into the backyard, leaving Mia looking after him.

---

"You have to understand Jess, I'm not the old me anymore," she whispered, throwing an arm around him. Jesse tugged on his black beanie and sighed. "Maybe you should go to counseling with me. The guy listens and that's it. You don't have to take the meds or anything. Just please talk to someone," he said, his bottom lip quivering.

Matty glanced at him and wrapped her arm around him tighter. "I'm scared, Jess. I feel like I have no control over my life and that at any moment, it'll be gone in a flash." He nodded and pulled out a cigarette, going to light it. "Jess… I think I'm pregnant," she whispered, sobbing. Jesse jumped up from his seat on the back steps and began pacing. "What?" He asked, jumping up and down.

"I think that's why I'm so emotional, that and the fact that I stopped taking my meds. This is such a mess," she cried out. Jesse sat down again and wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her hair and quieted her down, trying to think clearly. "Did you tell Vince or anybody?" Matty shook her head and sobbed.

"Are you going to have it?" Matty froze and her mouth hanged open. She had never thought about the future, only about what was going on right now. What would she do with a baby, living in the Toretto's basement? Jesse stared at her, searching for an answer. "Please tell someone Matty. You can't keep this a secret anymore. You need help," he pleaded. Matty nodded and smiled at him.

"Thanks for listening, Jesse. I promise that when the time is right, I'll tell Vince and we'll work through this," she whispered, kissing him on the check. Jesse nodded and squeezed her slightly, before going back into the house. Matty sighed softly and shook her head, wiping the tears off of her face.

---

As Matty emerged from the local baby store for a breath of fresh air, a limo pulled up to the curb. When the window rolled down, she rolled her eyes. "What is it?" She barked, finding her father's face staring back at her. "Don't tell me you and the street-racing tattooed punk are having a little bundle of joy," he snarled, throwing a folder at her feet and rolling up his window. Seconds later, his car pulled off.

She picked the folder up and glanced through it, her heart beating fast at its contents. Letty appeared behind her, with 5 shopping bags in tow. "I think I got enough baby stuff to shut Dom up for the next week," she muttered, throwing some bags in her direction. Matty frowned and rolled the folder up, placing it in her handbag. She grabbed the shopping bags and made her way towards their car. "I can't believe Dom is taking more initiative in the baby department, then what you are," Matty said, throwing the bags into the backseat.

Letty got behind the wheel and started the car up. "So how's everything going with you and Vince?" She asked, pulling out of her parking spot. Matty shrugged. "Good I guess, except for the fact that I'm pregnant and the only one that knows is Jesse and I'm losing my mind and I have no clue what to do anymore with myself. I'm scared shitless of everything that is going on right now," she blabbered out.

Letty stopped the car at a red light and flipped around to face her. "Are you fucking serious?" She yelled out. Matty nodded and hit the dashboard. "I was raped and now I'm pregnant. I have no stable income, I'm an illegal street racer and I have no father for my baby," she mumbled, tearing rolling down her face.

"Don't worry. You know you will have the Toretto's back up 100. I'm also 100 sure that V wouldn't mind having a little bundle of joy running around with him. Then he would have a reason to not shower or just sit around and eat and crap all day. Wow, we're gonna be mommys together!" Letty said, her face a big grin.

---

Vince stormed through the front door, with a scowl on his face. The team watched as Matty came in after him, shuffling her feet, her shoulders low and her head down. She silently walked through the living room and down the stairs to her room, slamming the door shut after her. V stood in the corner of the room and stared after her, his eyes slit.

"What the fuck happened?" Leon asked, motioning to the stairs. "I've fucking had it with her. She won't talk, eat or think. She just sits there and stares at the fucking plate like it's the answer to a million dollar questions. She won't sleep with me anymore, let alone have a single conversation with me," he vented.

Letty stood up, her hand on her hips. She glared at him and huffed. "You go down there right now and apologize for whatever it is you think you did but really didn't do. Talk to her. There's a lot you don't know about her V. She has some dark secrets and you need to tough it out with her or else you'll loose the best thing that ever walked into your life," she barked.

Vince grunted and his face softened, realizing that Letty knew something he didn't. He nodded and shrugged his shoulders, making his way towards the stairs. "And Vince," Letty said, waiting for his attention. He flipped around and faced her. "She loves you, no matter what. Just remember that."


	18. Giving Up

**Chapter 18: **Giving Up

Matty sat in the middle of her bed, cross legged, the folder her father had graciously thrown at her, in her lap. She sighed upon reading it's content, wishing she had never opened it and fell into her father's trap. He laid it out oh so carefully for her and she was foolish enough to fall for it.

Manuel had pulled Vincent's background records and printed them out for her. He was trying to change her perception of the man she told him she was going to spend the rest of her life with. The computer printouts depicted Vince as a mere number, a statistic in the system. He had a criminal record a mile long and by the looks of it, he was a bad boy at heart.

She flipped through the pages, taking in how many times he had been brought up for various charges like strong-arm robbery, aggravated assault and others, but the charges never seemed to stick. The witness and victims would always switch up their account of the incident at the last minute or just drop the charges.

She heard thundering feet come the stairs and instantly felt Vince's presence. He burst through the door and shut it firmly behind him, keeping his eyes on the floor. Matty closed the folder, sliding it underneath her pillow. "I think we need to talk," he whispered, walking over to the bed and taking a seat next to her.

Matty moved over closer to him, wrapping her arm around his but found him unwrapping himself from him. "When we first met we agreed that we would be open with each other. I loved how you would keep up with me and wouldn't mind giving me a piece of your mind. You were outgoing and fun and you loved life with a sarcastic passion. I feel like you've changed so much and I can't get a grip around you. I know things have been rough for you're the last couple of months, hell the last year, but I'm trying here. I'm dying every day that I see you walk away further and further from me. I need you to let me know that I'm not wasting my breath here. That you want to get things back to normal and that you want us to be the old Vince and Matty that we used to be," he said.

She heard the sincerity in his voice and saw the pain in his eyes. Matty knew that she had to tell him what was going on, he deserved it. He actually gave a fuck. She had written him off time and time again, but he stuck it out. She had now realized that he past the point of no return. He was seeking her out and if she didn't give him something to hold on to, then she would lose him forever- as a lover and as a friend.

"I'm pregnant," she said, the words lingering in the air. He stared at her, his brows furrowed together. "Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded. "I took one of Letty's left over pregnancy tests and then when that came positive I went down to the clinic and got it confirmed. I'm pregnant. 7 months from now I'll be a mommy."

"Do you know what you're going to do?" He asked, grabbing her hand and placing it in his. She pulled out of his grasp and shrugged. "I guess, stack up the money for now and get a real job. Maybe get a place of my own. Having a baby is a serious responsibility and I need to be ready," she replied. Vince nodded and smiled at her. "I guess I'm going to be a daddy!" He said, jumping up from the bed.

She grabbed on to the bottom of his shirt and dragged him back into bed. "Vince. Having a baby is a serious thing. We haven't been together forever like Letty and Dom. And I'm not taking the meds during my pregnancy. I think I should be alone during all of this. I think the best thing to do as of now is just go our separate ways."

V laughed and stood up from the bed, shaking her head. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He yelled. She jumped at his voice and stared at him. "I want to be with you. With or without this baby. You should be happy. You should be jumping off the walls. I want to be father to some kid that isn't mine. I want this. You know you can't do this on your own. You just can't leave now and try to do this on your own. You won't be able to," he said.

She shook her head and stood up from the bed, her hands running over her stomach. "It'll be hard, but I know I can make it. I just need to get my priorities straight. All this running around partying, drinking and racing has to stop. I'll get a job and get my own place," she replied.

"A baby is going to need things. It needs to eat, it needs a home, it needs a family, Matty. How are you going to provide those things? What about when you need to stop working because of the pregnancy, huh? How about then? Whose going to pay your bills and keep food on the table? Me, that's who! Whether you want it or not, need it or like it, I'm going to be a part of your life and that's final!"

She stared at him, admiring the fact that he was willing to share his life with her, but deep inside she was scared. Scared of all that she had seen and read in the folder her father had handed her. What if a fight goes past the point of no return? He was a seasoned criminal that had a knack with getting away with things. Could she put her and her unborn child's life at risk like that?

Matty knew it was a lost battle, she could argue until the baby was due, but Vince was stubborn, just like her. She simply walked out of the room, refusing to argue with him anymore. V stared after her, slapping his arms down on his sides. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He threw himself on the bed and cursed himself.

As his head hit the pillow, he felt the object underneath it, drawing it out and opening it, finding the folder on his criminal life. He sighed, knowing that it was no use to argue with her. She had made her mind up.

---

As time went on, Matty found herself falling in step with the team. Although she was still having trouble dealing with the pregnancy and her lack of medication, she managed to stay strong. While she still could, Matty worked 16 hour days between the garage and Harry's Racers Edge. She was saving up, slowly building the courage to one day step away from the Toretto household.

Vince on the other hand didn't consider himself a part of the team. He would show up at the races and at the garage, but other than showing up for dinner and lunch, he didn't interact with them. Dom felt for his friend. He understood the feeling of joy at the thought of having a child, so he understood Vince's lack of understanding when it came to Matty's choice of leaving the house.

V couldn't stand to look at her. Any time they were in the same room and she would try to approach him, he would drop what he was doing and leave. No matter how many times Dom tried to bring his best friend to his senses, there was no getting through to Vince. The only time he would act remotely nice to her would be when he drunk as shit. And this usually led to eventful nights at the Torettos.

---

Jesse knocked back a shot, slamming it down on the table top and then rubbing Letty's and Matty's stomachs. The duo were showing a little belly, both of them receiving compliments from everyone. They were pregnant, but that didn't stop them from turning heads when they were at the races, glow and all. The trio of girls had bonded, seeing as Matty spent all her time attached to either one of them. She claimed she needed them to balance her out.

"Me and Leon are going to make some amazing uncles. I already have their first toy cars planned out," he said, fixing the beanie on the top of his head. Letty smirked and tapped him upside the head. "Anything except a skyline," she muttered, walking over to the kitchen table and sitting down. "Why not? Skylines not up to par for the next Toretto?" Jesse asked, pouring himself another shot. "No. We just prefer cars that are designed to drive on the right side of things," Matty said, trying not to offend anybody.

Letty scoffed and sipped on a Snapple, her new favorite non-alcoholic beverage, courtesy of Mia. Jess slammed back the shot he had poured himself and went over to sit down next to Letty, not before almost falling over the table. "Maybe you should cut back," Matty mumbled, putting the cap back on the bottle of vodka he had been drinking out of.

Jesse flopped into the chair next to Letty and grinned at her. "Oh boy. He's done," Letty said, smiling back at him. "No, the one that's done is Dom with you. He knows everything," Jesse said, slurring his words. Letty froze and grabbed on to Jesse's shirt. "What are you talking about?"

Jesse nodded and sighed. "The doctor's office returned your phone call about the paternity test you wanted more information on," he replied. Letty let go of him and slumped into the chair, shaking her head softly. Matty walked over to her and kneeled down to her level. "Tell him it was for me and that you wanted to see if we could catch the bastards who raped me," she whispered, placing a comforting hand on her thigh.

Letty shook her head and stood up, brushing past Matty. "I need to fess up. It's all going to come out anyways when this kid is born. I can't take the chance of having Dom think this is his baby and when it's born its an exact replica of Leon." She exited the kitchen, pushing past all the party goers and walked over to Dom, who was currently talking shop with Vince. "I need to talk to you. NOW!" She barked and walked towards the stairs.

She walked up to their bedroom and glanced around it. It had been her home ever since she could remember. It was Mr. and Mrs. Toretto's bedroom before Dom's and hers. She could picture it like it was yesterday. Mrs. Toretto would have Dom, Mia and her climb up on the bed and tell them some insane story of when she was growing up.

Letty frowned at the thought of having to give up her friends, family and home over something so stupid like a simple fuck, as Leon would refer to it. She heard Dom's heavy footsteps approaching, knowing that she would most likely meet her maker by the end of the night.

Dom entered the room, leaning against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's going on?" He said. Letty look at him and she knew that he could see the fear in her eyes. It wasn't physical pain she was worried about, she was scared she was about to lose everything. Her body began to shake as tears ran down her face.

His face softened, but he didn't budge. "I slept with Leon. More than once. And now I'm praying to God with everything I have that this baby is yours," she sobbed out. He stepped towards her, coming face to face with her. "You what?" His voice was low, so low it sent shivers throughout her body.

---

"DOM NO!" Letty's voice was heard ringing through the house. Matty jetted towards the stairs but was stopped by Vince's strong hand. He shook his head no and glanced up the stairs, a worry look on his face.


	19. The Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter 19: **The Calm Before The Storm

**A/N:** Hey guys. This is a very long update because I wanted to get this done with. This is just the crap I felt that was necessary to get on with the other half of my story. I'm excited. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers for sticking with the story. Love ya guys!

* * *

Matty gripped on to V's shirt and pulled him towards her. "I won't sit back and let him hurt her, over your dead body," she barked. He shook his head and sighed. "He'll never lay a hand on her and if he does, he'll be the dead body we'll be worrying about," he replied. She glanced at him with uncertainty in her eyes. It was the first time he was spoken to her in a decent tone in the last month and a half. She nodded and stepped back, her arms crossed over her chest.

---

Dom dropped the balled up fist to his side and shook his head. "Bring that back around for me one more time, because it sounded like you said that you slept with my best friend and got knocked up. Am I correct?" He yelled sarcastically. Letty reluctantly nodded, her body shaking.

"When I got the phone call, I thought no way. That it was probably a mix up and that the doctor really meant Matty or some other whore, but you I wouldn't have expect it from, not in a million years!" He walked over to the bed and sat down slowly on the corner, breathing deeply. Letty dropped to her knees in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "I was lonely and stupid, Dom. I didn't mean to get caught up, let alone pregnant. I'm so sorry, baby," she cried.

Dom shook his head and tears began to drop down his face. "Every time I cheated on you, I promised myself I wouldn't do it again, but somehow it would happen 2 or 3 nights later, but I never took it as far as fucking someone you knew, let alone of your best friends!" He yelled. "It hurts, I know it hurts. I lived the pain ever since we met, Dom, but I've never let the other women get in between the two of us," she whispered.

"Well guess what, it's not a woman between us Letty. It's a baby, a freaking baby!" She sobbed uncontrollably, gripping onto his thighs for dear life. "Get out," he whispered, staring into her eyes. He stood up and walked over to the window, glancing up at the sky. "We can work this out, Dom," she pleaded. He glanced back at her before continuing his trance outside of the window. "Get out, it's over," he whispered.

---

Matty and the rest of the team watched as the Letty came down the stairs, her face tear stricken and her body shaking. She simply grabbed her car keys off of the coffee table and walked out of the font door, without saying one word to any of them. They listened carefully for a few minutes for any noise from upstairs, but heard none.

Matty glanced over at Vince, a sad look on her face. She shook her head softly and made her way towards the basement. "Don't worry, things will work themselves out," he said, following her into her room. "Yeah. Things don't work themselves out, V. People work things out or else the world would be one big mess. She's out there by herself in the world. Someone needs to make things right," she blubbered, climbing on to her bed.

"Get a grip and a clue, Mat. She'll come back when she's ready. Not everyone is so overdramatic like you and not everything is the end of the world," he replied. "Go to hell Vince and on your way over there why don't you buy a fucking clue! If things worked themselves out, you wouldn't be the asshole you are," she yelled back.

"Get on your meds as soon as possible because you're a complete bitch when you're not on them," he said, walking out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him. Matty groaned and flipped back on to her bed, cursing him.

---

Matty placed the alarm on her car and crossed the street. She pulled out a key from her back pocket and opened the padlock on the big aluminum siding gate in front of her. She rolled the gate up and revealed a large room full of furniture and boxes, the items she had to put in storage due to her relocation. Upon entering she was bombarded with many memories and feelings. Each piece of furniture held a significant memory in her heart.

With the money Hector and her had scammed off of some rich kids that didn't have a clue about racing, she bought her four post bed. It was dark cherry wood and she loved sleeping in the king size mattress. Hector had sold bootlegs for a week to buy her some 400 count Egyptian cotton sheets, while she ran numbers to buy the matching comforter.

Hector and her had always looked out for each other, doing whatever was necessary to make the other smile. Matty walked over to a box labeled HECTOR and pulled out a black mink coat that he had won in a hand of poker almost 2 years ago. She slipped into it, loving how it smelled of cigars and him. She wrapped it tight around her small body and smiled at its warmth.

"Don't I look like a mighty cholo?" She said, mimicking her late brother. She placed her hands in the pockets and began to strut. She laughed to herself, thinking that this was the pick me up she needed. As she pranced around the room, her hands began to feel lumps in the coat. She pulled the coat off and spread it out of the bed, feeling the lumps that were spread all over the coat, especially the big arms.

"Hector, please tell me you didn't," she whispered, ripping one of the seams the coat had. She reached inside and pulled out a rolled up wad of money. She carefully slipped off the rubber band, revealing 25 or so 100 dollar bills. Matty shrieked in delight and began to pull out the rest of the money inside the fur coat. She quickly collected all the money and placed it inside an old purse she found, heading straight for the bank.

---

Vince pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked his car. He power walked into the emergency room, stopping by the front desk to ask the room number. He thanked the nurse and practically ran towards room she had directed him to. When he reached the room, he found a male nurse drawing blood from Letty's arm. He leaned against the door frame and waited for him to finish up.

The male nurse smiled and exited the room, leaving the two of them alone. Vince had been the one to get the frightening phone call in the early morning. He was silently glad that he had picked up the phone and not thrown it into the night table drawer, sleeping for another two or so hours.

He walked over to Letty, who was currently laying in the bed, a bandage wrapped around her forehead. "What happened?" He asked, sitting at the edge of the bed. She cleared her throat and struggled to sit up. "Tell me that you wouldn't do something this stupid over Dom's ass." Letty scoffed and shook her head. "I would never give anyone that much power over me. I was blowing off some steam and decided to race some punk off the streets. He clipped me and sent me flying into a divider. My car is totaled," she said.

Vince chuckled. "Leave it to you to be worried about your car and not that fact that you just had a near death experience," he replied. He watched Letty and found the lost look in her eye that she was desperately trying to hide. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," she whispered, a sob escaping her body. He placed a hand gently over hers, as if guiding out a deep, dark secret that was ripping her apart. She swallowed a couple of time, getting a grip on her bearings. "I lost the baby, V," she whispered, her other hand gripping onto his arm.

V enveloped her with his arms, letting his friend since the third grade lean on him in her hour of need. He quieted her, whispering away all her fears, knowing that it took a lot to bring her to tears. In the last 24 hours she had lost her best friend, her baby and her ride. Times were rough.

---

Matty sat on the back stoop, a Snapple in hand, staring off into the distance. Mia nudged her softly, bring her back to reality. She chuckled and smiled at her distant friend, trying to figure her out. "If your worried about Letty, everything will work itself out," Mia said, taking a sip from her Snapple. Matty scoffed and shook her head. "Living with V down in the basement must be a nightmare for her, but he seems to have her back through all the bullshit. Dom will eventually forgive and not forget so that's not the biggest issue in my life right now," she replied.

"So what is?" Mia asked, leaning forward and making eye contact with her. Matty shrugged and took in a deep breath. "The short and easy version is that I'm pregnant, don't have a baby daddy, found some money, thinking about moving out, making something out of myself and being all on my own," she rambled. Mi nodded and thought over what she was just told. "I agree." Matilda did a double take and smiled. "Really? I'm not crazy or are you just saying that because you're scared that I'll flip out and cut somebody?"

"No. I think that you've made an important choice in life. Raising a child isn't easy. You need to get your feet on the ground and get serious. It's not gonna be easy explaining to your child why you got arrested last night for street racing. And plus, you won't be all alone. There is no way in hell that me, Letty, Jess and V will let you struggle. We're family," she said, throwing an arm around her.

---

"Hector gave me my start in the racing world. He took a chance on a punk that didn't know his ass from the carburetor and showed me the ropes. He raised me on the streets and it was only right that I took in my brother's sister and kept her safe. I admit it, when you showed up on my doorstep, I thought that you would give me a run for my money. I thought that if raising Mia and Letty was hard, you would be the one to break me, but you proved me wrong. You grew up and taught us a couple of things around here. I know that Hector would be proud of you if he was still around and that baby has one hell of a mother. Tonight, we party for you. Tonight, I say goodbye to a street punk. Tomorrow, I say hello to you and a new Toretto family member," Dom toasted, butting his beer with Edwin's and chugging it down.

Matty smiled and tears came to her eyes as she looked around the crowded Toretto living room and the people toasting to her. It was all Jesse's idea- a going away party for Matty. Tomorrow she would be moving out to the 2 bedroom apartment 15 minutes away that Mia and Jesse had helped her find. Tomorrow she would start working down at Racer's Edge full-time as a receptionist.

Mia figured that it would take the tension off the Dom/Leon/Letty drama, but instead it was escalating. Dom wouldn't acknowledge Letty and the only reason he kept Leon around was because he needed the extra hands at the garage. It was an on going battle between all of them. Mia, Jesse and Vince wanted peace while the other three were just creating havoc.

Matty drank from the bottle of water in her hand and spotted Vince slipping away into the kitchen, his shoulders hunched. She followed him, finding him sitting on the picnic table out in the backyard. As she slid up beside him, she smelled the heavy liquor on his body. Tonight while everyone else was toasting to her future, Vince was toasting to their past.

He didn't acknowledge her, just kept drinking from the bottle of whiskey. "So…. How's it hanging today?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood. He ignored her comment and stretched out on the picnic table, staring off into the sky. She turned to face him, sitting crossed legged, knowing that she had to say her part before she left tomorrow.

"Vince, can we talk? Can I say some things before we go our separate ways?" She whispered. He grunted and shrugged. "Feel free to say whatever you want. It's what you always do, make decisions without consulting others." Matty shook her head and watched him. He was a mess. The beard was out of control. He no longer bothered trying to make himself presentable. He just threw on tank tops and jeans, worked, drank and ate. It was true, she was hurting him.

"I have to do this for myself, V. I feel like I have to strive for something better than living in Dom's basement for the rest of my life with a baby. I need a job. I need to do things for myself. It's the only way I'll get out of this rut. I can't spend the rest of my life doped up on meds because I'm scared to deal with things the right way. This doesn't mean an end to us," she replied. Vince scoffed and shot up, facing her. "We can get an apartment or whatever. It doesn't mean you need to move out by yourself and get a different job and whatnot," he said.

"You're talking out of your ass, V. We don't know each other that well. What if I wake up one morning and I decide that I don't like how you smell? I can drive people up the walls when I'm in one of my moods. I need to be by myself. I need to do this for the baby and above all for me. I'll come by the house and the garage all the time and I expect you to be the best uncle this baby will ever have. I just need my own place to call home."

Vince scrunched up his face in disgust and took a long swig from the bottle. "I don't want to be an uncle. Try father but whatever, it's up to you. Go and be a failure. Hector is probably turning in his grave right now at all the stupid idiotic things you've done. That baby has no father, a bitch for a mother and no future. You might as well go live in a hole somewhere. You're no good to me anymore. Leave, kick rocks and have fun in your new, pointless life," he barked.

Matty shook her head and get down from the picnic, anger making her speechless. "I just came out here to say that I was sorry and that I still had feelings for you, but fuck you! You're just a drunk, V," she yelled back. V scoffed and laughed exaggeratedly loud. "NO! FUCK YOU!" She watched as he yelled loud obscenities at her, changing completely in front of her. "You just proved to me that the decision I'm making is right. Why would I want my baby to call some low-life thug daddy?"

She shook her head slowly and walked inside the house. She headed straight to her room, closing the bedroom door behind her softly before dropping to her knees and sobbing.


	20. Home

**Chapter 20: **Home

Letty's fingers wrapped around her dog tags tightly, the only remainder she had of her father. He was a war veteran that in the early days was trying to groom her to follow in his footsteps. She sobbed quietly, pressed up against the back of the house, wishing that the world would swallow her up hole. She heard footsteps approach and she froze, standing up straight and wiping her face.

"Letty?" A deep baritone voice asked, stepping into the moonlight before her. "Just go away," she mumbled, turning away from him, hiding her face. "You're standing underneath my bedroom window. Your muffled cries carry," Dom replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sorry," she whispered, trying to walk past him and into the house.

Dom stretched out an arm and stopped her. "What's wrong?" He asked, no sentiment in his voice. Letty cleared her voice and shook her head. "I'm fine, just go about your business," she said, holding her head up high and looking him straight in the eye. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her to him. Dom clutched onto her tightly, bringing sobs out of her.

---

As the months went by, Matty's belly seemed to get bigger and bigger. She had the seat so far back she felt like she was driving in the backseat. She slapped on a pair of big, dark sunglasses on her face as she climbed out of her car. Her flip flops clicked across the hot cement as she crossed the street to get into the Racer's Edge before her lunch hour was up.

She came in through the back entrance, finding Letty sitting on her desk. "Oooooohhhh, administrative assistant," Letty said, picking up the name plate on her desk and waving it through the air. Matty scoffed and sat down in her oversized chair. "It's a fancy name for I do all the paperwork and Harry reaps the rewards," she replied, placing her feet on the desk.

"Well I just came by to say hi and put in an order for Dom, but Harry took care of that for me. Where were you, missy?" Letty asked, jumping off the desk and stretching her body out. "Lunch date with lover boy," she replied. "And how is that going exactly?" Letty cocked an eyebrow and grinned.

"So far he's really nice. He helped me finish painting the nursery. Jesse built the crib and Leon put in those cubbies I wanted," Matty said. Letty laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the wall. "So when do I get to meet Mark, the man of your dreams?"

Matty scoffed. "He's far from that. We're just friends. We go out to eat dinner and sometimes he comes over and we watch a movie. That's it, nothing more and nothing less." Letty shook her head and stuck her head outside the office, glancing out and back in. "Vince is out there," she nodded towards the display area in the front.

Matty froze and glanced up at Letty. "I think he had it all planned out. He wanted to come over on your break, but I kept stalling," Letty said. Matty groaned and shook her head, rubbing her temples and sighing. "I don't think I'm up to dealing with him. I'm still trying to get used to being alone and out of the house," she replied.

Letty nodded and headed for the door. "Mia and Jesse said they would swing by tonight. So you know what that means," she said, before heading to the display area in search of V. Matty smiled after her, knowing that it would be an interesting night.

---

Matty jumped up off the couch at the sound of the doorbell. She glanced around her small apartment, making sure that everything was in place before opening the door. "The usual?" Matty asked, letting Mia and Jesse into the apartment. Jesse placed a kiss on her cheek before walking into the apartment with a large cheese pizza in hand. Mia walked in after him with chips and soda.

It was the usual Tuesday night. Mia and Jesse would come over after dinner and then they would watch House, followed by Law & Order: SVU. If the night was still young for them, they would either pop a movie into the DVD or play a round of Uno.

It was those Tuesday nights that Matty felt that she could call her apartment home. Those nights were the only nights that laughter was heard coming out of her apartment. The others were spent in silence, with the television on in the background or a soft rock song playing.

Mia plopped down on the couch, murmuring something about House and Cuddy getting together, while Jesse went on and on about the sexual tension he was feeling between Stabler and Benson. Matty grabbed the ranch dressing from the fridge and opened up the pizza box, settling down in her usual position on the floor by the coffee table to stuff her face.

"Hey, there's a sale downtown in this baby store. Jesse stopped in and got a few things. They said that they would have some delivery men bring it over tomorrow," Mia said, turning on the television. Matty scoffed, glancing over to Jesse. "Jesse's little gifts are starting to get suspicious. He seems to know exactly what I want and what I need. How do you manage the expenses?" She asked, by now glaring at him.

He shifted nervously in his seat and sighed. "Fine you got me," he said, waving his hands in the air as a sign of defeat. "The team chips in and gives the money to Mia and Vince who in turn spend the every Sunday afternoon hitting every baby shop in Cali." Matty stood up as fast as she could in her condition and glared at Mia. "WHAT?" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Mia stood up and tried to calm her down. "This isn't good for your condition, which is why we didn't tell," she explained, leading her to the couch to sit down. Matty shook her head and groaned. "I want you to take everything back. Every last cent, Mia. I'm perfectly capable of doing things on my own, you know."

"It doesn't matter what you say or what we think. Dom considers you part of the family. Either you take the gifts or he'll make your life a living hell," Jesse said, turning up the television as House started. Matty shook her head and sighed in defeat. "I had a feeling that even if I moved out of the house Dom would still be riding my ass."

"Vince misses you, you know," Mia whispered, settling down next to her. "I'm no good to him and don't change the subject. How are you guys affording all the extra crap you're buying for me and the baby?" Matty asked, kicking her feet up on the couch. Mia shrugged and stared intently at the television. "Dom's raking in the money, I guess," she answered without thinking.


	21. Return of the Pool Boy

**Chapter 21: **Return of the Pool Boy

As time went by, Dom's promise to himself that he would look after Matilda was pointless. He was caught up in the garage, the races and whatever other activities filled his agenda that the team simply didn't have any extra time to dedicate to her. It's not like she needed any extra attention- Mark was supplying just the right amount.

---

"Do you think we'll need this?" Matty asked, holding up a pair of candlesticks and waving them in the air. Mark scrunched his face in thought, his fine brown eyebrows joining together. He was a handsome man, tall and lean body. He had a sense of elegancy that surrounded him, befitting him and his profession. Mark was moving up in the world, one legal case at a time. He was recently hired by a high powered firm in the heart of California. He was making his mark in the world and in Matty's.

"I was thinking that with the money the firm is offering, I could dip into my savings and just buy new things," he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her ever growing waist. Matty tilted her head to the side and thought about the proposition. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? We've only known each other for a few months. Moving into a house in the suburbs and leaving our old lives behind is a big deal for such a fast pace," she said, putting the candlesticks down and unwrapping herself from him.

Mark sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch. Matty stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her belly, in a convincing stance she had learned from Mia. "I think that we're two adults, who deserve to have a sense of security and a little company. I'm not asking for a marriage, but it's nice to have someone to come home to. You say you want your space, fine. With the hours I'll be working you'll have more than enough time on your hands. You can keep busy decorating the house and what not while you wait for the baby to be born, which isn't too far away," he said.

Matty shrugged and glanced around her small apartment. "Is it big? My moving to the suburbs better be a big deal," She muttered, shifting from one foot to another in anticipation of their new home. "Yep. It has everything you want- a big 2 car garage, a jacuzzi style bath tub and hardwood floors," he replied, standing up from the couch and hugging her. She giggled and jumped up and down in his arms.

"What would we be doing right now if you were still working as a public defender?" Matty asked. Mark shrugged and glanced at the clock on the wall. "We would probably be stretched out on the couch watching Smackdown!" He replied, reaching for the candlesticks and dumping them in the trash can.

---

Matty groaned as the doorbell rang throughout the house. She hit the mute button on her brand new 60 inch flat screen television. She hit pause on the Need for Speed game she was playing and placed the PS2 controller next to her on the couch. She struggled to get up, grabbing on to the couch and pushing her up, the big, protruding belly not letting her get around. She was due any day now and it was starting to wear thinly on her patience.

She waddled slowly towards the door, yelling that she was on her way. As she finally reached the door, she smoother out the black sports bra and white basketball shorts she was wearing. Socks adorned her feet and her hair was up in a messy bun. Matty yanked the door open, not once expecting Vince to be standing on her doorstep.

She froze, staring up at him, in shock. He cleared his throat, his hands deep within his pockets, head low and eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses. "How are you?" He asked, shifting around. Matty smiled at him and opened the door for him to enter. "I'm alive," she replied, shutting the door after him. She lead him to the kitchen, motioning for him to have a seat.

Vince pushed his shades to the top of his head and sat down, accepting the glass of orange juice she had handed him. She sat across the table, a bag of Doritos in her lap, and a glass of juice in her hand. "Eating healthy I see," he smirked. Matty shrugged and began to stuff her face. "The doc said I needed more fruits and vegetables, so I drink a glass of juice when I'm done with the junk food."

"So how's everything going? Seems that you've made quiet a few changes in your life," he said. She smiled softly, drinking the feeling of his presence in. "Well it was an overnight change, but I've gotten used to it. It feels sort of good to be laying around and have no worries," she muttered. V nodded and for the next couple of minutes they sat in silence, neither one not really knowing what to say to the other.

"So…." Matty said, tapping her fingers on the glass countertop. He focused on how her nails used to covered in dirt and how her body used to smell like oil, but now it was the complete opposite. Her nails were professionally done, with a French manicure to boot. She was tanned and was glowing all over with a hint of vanilla. Her hair seemed to be perfect and she seemed to be at home with the dramatic change.

"I'm scared to even step on the floor. I might get it dirty," he said, glancing down at the spotless white ceramic tiles that lined the floor. She shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Every Thursday this nice little Russian lady comes over and mops and brooms and dusts. All I do is cook and do the laundry and play the pretty housewife role."

V scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well if it makes you feel any better, it suits you. You look great in the newer and nicer surroundings," he said. Matty mimicked his pose, giving him a glare to match. "So what brings you to my side of the railroad tracks? Anything new I should know about?" He shrugged in response and glanced around the tidy kitchen, focusing back on her.

"I just felt like I should touch base with you. We haven't talked ever since you left the house and I've been missing you, you know?" He whispered, sincerity clearly shown in his eyes. Matty reached across the table and her hand found his. "I've missed you too, V. It's been a big change but I still think about our little house down in Echo Park," she replied.

"Things aren't the same anymore since you left. Now it's all work and worry. It feels like we've all grown up. No more running around and acting up. Just work, race and stress out," he said. Matty nodded and stared into his eyes. "What's going on, V? Is everything okay in the house? If you guys need anything, I'm good for it." He laughed to himself and shook his head.

"We're in deep, deep shit. Seems like it was a good idea at first, but now we're in too deep. We might not bounce back from this," he whispered, lowering his head. "What's going on,?" Matty asked, worry in her voice. Vince lifted his head up to answer, but before he could open his mouth to respond, the front door opened and Mark walked in.

He threw his briefcase and suit jacket on the couch, heading straight to the kitchen. He stopped at the table, placing a kiss on Matty's forehead and nodding to Vince. "Is this the new pool guy? Did you tell him about the weird noise the pump is making?" He asked, heading to the fridge for a drink. Matty stood up and glared at him, shaking her head softly.

"Actually, this is Vince. One of my best friends," she said. Mark turned around and smiled at him, extending a hand. "Sorry. I put my foot in my mouth, I see," he said. Vince stood up and shook his hand. He proceeded to the front door, ignoring Matty's calls. Matty chased after him, catching up to him on the front lawn.

"Vince, tell me what's going on!" She yelled, grabbing him by the elbow and forcing him to turn around. "I'm sorry I came around. You're not apart of my world anymore. I can't get you involved in this," he replied, yanking his arm away from her. "Stop being so fucking stubborn and just tell me how I can help," she said.

V shook his head and sighed. "For Christ's sake, Matilda, you have a pool boy. What type of shit is that?" He yelled. She laughed and followed him across the street, where he was parked. "It's what the Stepford Wives around here do. They have pool boys and maids and all that other crap. It comes with the territory, Vincent." V shrugged and unlocked his car.

"It doesn't matter anymore, what is done is done. We're done, so therefore it shouldn't matter. Go back to your life. Don't worry about me or the team anymore," he barked, getting inside the car and turning it on. Matty slammed her hands on the top of the car, groaning. She watched as he sped off, leaving dust in his absence.


	22. The Return

Matty cursed, slamming the phone back into it's cradle. She had waited several days before calling Vince. She needed to speak to him. See him. She needed to know that everything was alright. But now she had finished calling every number she could get her hands on and they were all turned off. She didn't know what to do. She drove by the house and nobody was home. The garage and store were closed. She was officially worried.

"Awww, what happened? The pool boy not picking up?" Mark asked, taunting her from across the room. She flipped him off, not understanding why he kept insisting on looking down on her friends. Her family. Matty walked out of the room, heading upstairs to lay down for a nap. The baby was due any minute and there wasn't much she could do without getting tired right away.

---

The nurses pushed the stretcher through the double doors and disappeared into the operating room. Mark ran a hand through his hair and breathed deeply, secretly hoping that everything went well with Matty's delivery. He chose to wait outside, knowing that would just be in the way as the doctors and nurses went about their business. He would just worry and stumble amongst his words and limbs, becoming a nuisance for them.

He paced the waiting room, watching the clock go by for hours. He switched chairs, did push ups, read magazines, called friends for support and he still knew nothing. A few more hours went by and his heart skipped a beat as a doctor emerged from behind the double doors and headed towards him. Everything after that became a blur. All he heard was that there were complications. That Matty had to be sedated. That's all he heard before he collapsed into a chair.

---

Matty sat on the back porch, a bottle of whiskey at her feet, a cigarette dangling from her hand. Mark approached her, leaning against the banister."How ya feeling?" He whispered, a worried look on his face. She shrugged, waving her hands around, no response to explain how she felt. Everything had gone to shit between them ever since the doctors had told her that the baby didn't make it. That she almost died giving birth to him. She had named him and everything- Eduardo. Eddie for short. Hector's middle name.

She fell into a deep depression, only waking to drink and smoke. He barely knew her anymore. Barely even saw her. He tried. The last couple of weeks, it was hell for both of them. He didn't know what to do or say. All he could do was throw himself into his work. Forget all about it. Clearly she had decided that too. Any way she could.

"I was better off anyway without the bastard baby," she whispered, taking a pull of her cigarette. Mark shook his head and sighed. "Do you hear yourself? You wanted this baby so bad. You reinvented yourself to give this baby a better life than you had. Do you think Hector or him want to see you like this?" He asked. Matty laughed. She really laughed. She laughed long and hard. It was like music to Mark's ears to hear her laugh but he knew that she was laughing at him.

He got fed up and walked inside the house, shaking his head as he went into his office to finish up some work. Before she knew it, Matty's laughter had turned into sobs as she thought about what Mark had just said. It had finally hit her. She was all alone. She had pushed him away. She had pushed them all away. She was all alone. She had reinvented herself only to be down and out once again.

She couldn't give up. Not now.

---

She took Mark's example and soon found herself lost in her work. She had gotten a job as a mechanic at a local garage and spent the majority of her waking hours there. She started spending all of her money on tattoos and races. Whatever extra time she had on her hands, she would spend it working out and not with Mark. They barely saw each other any more. Barely knew each other. She had reinvented herself once again.

Matty found herself underneath a 2006 Honda Civic, performing an oil change. Not the most glamorous part of her day, but someone had to do it. Not everyone could get the high end jobs. She found herself frozen as a customer came in announcing the news at the top of his lungs. The great Dominic Toretto had fallen. He was on the run with his team.

She refused to believe it, but it explained a lot. She couldn't get a hold of them for the last few weeks. They were gone off the face of the planet. She needed to know the truth. Matty wheeled herself out from underneath the car and told the boss she was taking the rest of the day off- medical reasons.

She hopped into her skyline and sped off, not really knowing where she was going but before she knew it, she was in the Toretto's driveway and turning her car off. Matty used the key she had from when she used to live there and let herself in, beginning her quest for any clues that would tell her where the team was hiding out at. She had to make sure they were okay. She had to see them.

Matty made her way through all the rooms, finding nothing but empty drawers. She threw herself on to the couch, trying to think of what to do next. She rifled through the massive amount of mail on the coffee table and found nothing but bills and advertisements. She threw her head into her hands, grunting at her failed mission. She sensed movement behind her and eyed the baseball bat at the end of the couch, wondering if she could make it without getting hurt by whoever was behind her.

She reached for it, turning around and facing the person. He put his hands up, showing that he came in peace. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" She asked, getting ready to swing if need be. "I can say the same to you. I haven't seen you around here," he replied. Matty took a few steps towards him and cocked an eyebrow. "My name is Matty. I used to live here," she said.

"My name is Brian. I'm a mechanic is Dom's shop," he said. Matty lowered the bat she was yielding as a weapon and smiled at him. "Do you know anything about what happened or where they are?" She asked, hating the fact that she was in the dark. And that's when Brian enlightened her with the truth. The entire truth. Him being a cop. Dom and the heists. Jesse's fatal 's arm. The team in Mexico.

Matty sat on the couch arm, shocked. "You have to get them off, Brian. No matter what they did or didn't do, they were a family to me and you," she said, trying to fend for them. He shook his head. "I let them get away. There was nothing I could do or say. They stripped me of my badge. Every cop has it out for me now," he said, plopping down into the couch.

"Do you have any idea of where they are? Anything I could go on?" She pleaded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue sticky note. "There were calls placed from a little mom and pop shop to the hospital. Specifically asking for updates on Jesse's condition every 3 to 4 hours. They never asked to be connected or anything. Just wanted to know how he was doing. They stopped when the nurse told him that Jesse had died on the operating table. And we know it's Dom because the nurse specifically remembers the deep voice and how sexy she thought it was," he said, passing her the piece of paper.

She pocketed it and stood up from the couch. "I'm guessing the only reason you know this is because you still have friends in the department. I'm also guessing that the LAPD doesn't have jurisdiction to hunt them down in Mexico," she said, heading for the door. "Be safe," Brian said, as she exited the house and jumped in to her car.

She was on a mission.

She finally felt alive.

She was back.

The prodigal daughter had returned.


	23. Making Moves

"Are you out of your fucking mind? There is no way in hell that I am helping you get your little gang of hoodlums out of trouble," Mark yelled, pouring himself another scotch on the rocks. "I have been nothing but nice to you. I have put up with all of your condescending bullshit. You owe me this!" He scoffed, as she lit a cigarette and walked over to the window. "I owe you? The last couple of weeks you have completely let me down. You don't cook or clean. All you do is drink and smoke. You stink of car grease and look at you! You belong on a fucking street corner. Tattoos everywhere," he rambled.

"I don't care what you think of me. What I do care about is that you have no other choice but to help them or I'll help the police put you behind the same bars they are heading for." Matty walked over to a crystal lamp and picked it up, letting it drop and break into a thousand pieces. "If you don't want me to sing like a canary about all the bribes you've taken and all the criminals you've helped to get off, I suggest you start making appeals or whatever the hell it is that you do. One fuck up on your part and I'm sure the government will start to wonder how you afford all the nice little things you seem to have bought over the last year," she said, motioning to the rest of the room.

Mark looked at all the expensive things he had furnished his life with. She was right, there was no way in hell he could hide his expenses. He was spending a shit load more than what he was making. The IRS would have a field day with him. He would lose his job. Be disbarred. He would go to jail. The cases that he had won would be brought into question. Criminals he had helped set free would go to jail. He would die either in prison or at the hands of one of his unhappy clients.

He sighed, knowing that he had no way out other than to try and fix this. "I can't defend a client that isn't here. They need to come and turn themselves in and face a jury of their peers. That's the only way that I can physically go to court and fight this. Plus, it's gonna take a shit load of money to pay a judge or jury off to make all or most of the charges to go away," he said.

Matty threw her cigarette butt on the floor and stepped on it. "I suggest you start moving some money around and sell some of these pretty little things of yours. I'll try to grease the wheels for whatever motions you are trying to set to help them out," she said, exiting the room and heading for the front door of the house. "I want you out of this house by tomorrow," he yelled after he. She scoffed.

"Like as if I was planning on staying any longer."

---

She grasped the folder and waited for the foot steps that were approaching the door to get closer. Matty cleared her throat and smirked as he opened the door and was shocked to see her standing there. "Well, well, well. What do I owe this visit to?" Her father asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Matty smiled and handed him the folder. Copies, of course. She wasn't dumb enough to hand over her leverage without having the upper hand.

"Let me be brief. You have an upcoming election for judge. I need you to help Dominic Toretto and his friends. I need all the charges to go away. You need me to keep this tell all memoir of every little thing you ever did to me in the dark. I have medical records. I have proof. I have my journal entries. I will run up and down this entire town, yelling at the top of my lungs. I will tell them the truth. Show them the scars. And if anything happens to me or my friends, all of that will be released to the press. And your worse nightmare will come true. Because after a beating like that, there's no way in hell you'll be judge. So if I were you, I would get to greasing the wheels because there's more from where that came from," she said, a sweet smile still on her face, motioning to the folder she handed him.

Manuel flipped through the folder and shook his head. "I never want to see you on my doorstep again. Have the Toretto's lawyer start the proceedings," he said, stepping back into the house and shutting the door in her face. Matty smiled to herself. Things were looking up. Now all she had to do was find the team and tell them she had fixed everything. All she had to do was get her family back. Get her man back. Get herself back.

---

Matty exited the bank with all the cash she had in her savings account in tow. She lit a cigarette and slipped into her car. After careful planning and preparation, she had found the mom and pop shop. She had plotted her route. Grabbed all her shit from Mark's place. Loaded up her car and filled her tank. She was ready to hit the road. She plugged her Ipod in and took off, the breeze slapping her on the face. It felt good. She lived for the open road. She had missed it. She yearned for it.

With a couple of rest stops here and there, Matty pulled up to the mom and pop shop the next day, her body tired and achy from all the driving. Her spanish was decent, allowing her to communicate with the owners and getting enough information about the whereabouts of the team. Something about a house down the road. Behind the post office. At the beach's shore.

By the time she exited the shop, it was pouring outside. The sky had gone dark and she was drenched from head to toe when she managed to make it into her car. She followed the directions she was given, and 15 minutes later, she had hit the end of the road. She had arrived at the beige two story house the owners had described. She parked on the street, the driveway full with their cars. She had found them. They were home. She was home now too.

She got out of the car and saw bodies moving behind the house. As she looked out towards the horizon, she realized that the beach was their backyard this time around. Matty walked around the side of the house and spotted them down at the edge of the shore. She found them. She found herself too.

---

Vince scowled at something Leon said and looked around him. Taking in the surroundings. The water. The sand. The rain that was threatening to drown them. And that's when he saw her. He stood up from his position in the sand and faced her. She was completely different to him and yet she was everything he knew. Her hair was short. Ridiculously short. What used to be long, dark and wavy was now cropped into some hair cut he was sure he saw in some rock video. It was straight and had random blonde highlights running through it.

She was skinny. Skinnier then what he remembered. Her eyes were dark and this worried him. Her white wife beater clung to her body and her jeans sagged underneath the wet material's weight. Her mascara and eyeliner were all over the place, making her sad eyes and skinny body look worse. She walked over to him, shivering as the wind slapped them all as it picked up speed. Matty clinged to him, as he wrapped his good arm around her and placed kisses on her forehead.

Vince took her scent in. He melted as he inhaled that faint smell of cherry blossoms she always seemed to smell like, mixed in with the sea's salty taste. Matty collapsed in his arms and slid towards the sand, crying quietly. She was relieved. She was alive. She finally was whole.


	24. Need

Matty rolled over in the bed, moaning at the faint smell of Vince that lingered in the sheets. Vince reached out and rubbed the small of her back, eliciting more moans from her. "You almost slept a full 24 hours," he whispered, placing a kiss on the back of her head. She rolled over and sat up in bed, facing him. "I was tired. It was a long drive," she said, yawning. Matty stretched out in the bed, her bones creaking as she placed strain on them.

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at her. Before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped around him, sobbing quietly once again. She lost her hands in his hair and placed her head in the crook of neck and cried. He held her, as best as he could, whispering sweet nothings in her ears. Trying to ease the pain she was riddled with. "I thought you were dead," she whispered, pulling away from him, stifling a sob. "Wish I was," he whispered back, pushing the hair out of her eyes and behind her ear.

She glanced down at his arm and reached out to touch it. He pulled away roughly. Not wanting her to touch him. To touch his mistake. Every day he woke up and looked down at his arm, it was like he was facing his guilt. His fucked up choice. He was facing himself. And he didn't like what he saw.

"I came back to tell you that I fixed everything. I made everything go away, Vince. You can come home. We can go back to the way things were," she said, placing a kiss on his lips. He scoffed and stood up from the bed. "You left me alone in that house. YOU left! Not me. I didn't turn my back on you. I was there. Waiting. Every God damn day I hoped that you would come back. Things will never be the same. It's too late now," he yelled. Matty stared at him, her eyes wide at his outburst. Vince ran out of the room, his stomps shaking the house.

Matty climbed out of the bed, realizing she was clad in one of his work shirts. She rummaged around until she found a pair of his old basketball shorts. She exploded down the stairs and sped through out the house. When she entered the kitchen, she found the team sitting around the table. "What the hell is up his ass? I tell him that I got the charges to go away and he freaks out," she said, waving her arms around wildly.

"Ever since you left, V has been teetering over the edge, Matty. The accident with his arm and us running from the cops just pushed him over. All he spends his days doing is drinking and sleeping. He barely even eats any more," Mia said, shaking her head sadly. Matty took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she exited the kitchen and met up with him at the shore.

The sky was getting dark as the sun was setting far off in the horizon. "Can we talk about what happened? About everything?" She asked, standing besides him. His simple response was a grunt. "I needed to do that for me, Vince. I needed to go out and spread my wings. We all did," she said, placing a hand on his good arm, forcing him to turn and look at her. "What you did was run off into some strangers arms and never look back," he replied.

Matty scoffed and shook her head. "I never slept with him, V. The relationship was one of just understanding. He worked too much and just needed someone to talk to. I needed someone to make me feel grounded. It worked out that way. The change of lifestyle made me realize who I was and where I really wanted to be. With you. In the basement," she said. He shook his head, refusing to let her back into his world. "Don't fight this, V. I came all this way to find you. I did so much to get you guys the green light to go back home. I saved myself from myself to be here by your side once again. Please, don't push me away. Not when we need each other the most."

"I'm ready to go home," was his only response before disappearing back into the house, leaving her standing there. Matty yelled in frustration. Things weren't going the way she had planned. She had dreamt of running into his arms and of him showering her with hugs and kisses. She had dreamt of being the happy family they once were. But the reality was that Vince was too damaged- partly by her, Brian and the accident. He left a piece of himself hanging off of that truck.

Matty shuffled back into the house, leaning against the door frame for support. Her body was still tired, her mind was breaking down and her heart hurt. Vince was no where in sight and she assumed he was back upstairs in his room. "What's this you were saying about us being able to go back home?" Leon asked, pulling a pack of Coronas out of the fridge and passing them around the room. Even Mia accepted one.

"I did some blackmailing. Got Mark and my dad to grease the wheels and make the charges go away," Matty said, taking a sip of her beer. Letty released a sigh of relief and Leon patted Dom on the back. "That's too good to be true. What's the catch?" Dom asked. Matty shrugged and thought about how Dom would take the news. "You have to turn yourself in. You probably have to spend a night or two in jail, but the case is guaranteed to get thrown out in court," she said, bracing herself for the blow.

Dom shook his head and leaned back in chair. "I rather die than go back to jail," he said, slamming his beer bottle on the table. Mia stood up and flung her beer bottle across the room. The bottle shattered, sending glass everywhere. Everyone stared at Mia as she ran a hand over her face and pushed her hair behind her ears. "You'll do it. We all risked our lives for your little money hungry stunt. You will do the same or I'll call the cops myself and tell them where you are," she said, a murderous tone in her voice.

Every one was frozen still at her outburst and shocked to see what Dom would do in retaliation to his sister's threat. But the biggest shock was when Dom stood up and nodded at her. "I'll go upstairs and pack," he said, heading for the stairs. The team stared after him, silent. When he was out of sight, Mia ran over to Matty and hugged her, sobbing hysterically.

Letty and Leon pulled Mia off of her and told her to go upstairs and pack and her things. They would leave first thing in the morning. "I'm gonna go check on, V," Leon said, leaving Letty and Matty alone in the room. "I know it took a lot to go see your father, but I wanna say thank you," Letty said, hugging Matty. "You guys are the only family I have. I had to help you," Matty said, hugging Letty back. "Who did you leave the baby with? I know you must have pictures or something on you. I gotta see what the little rugrat looks like," Letty said, pulling away from her.

Matty shrugged and finished off the rest of her beer. "I lost the baby, Let," she whispered, shaking her head softly. "I'm sorry," Letty whispered back, pulling her into another hug. The friends hugged for a long time, feeling each of their personal sorrows draining away from them as time passed.

---

The next couple of days passed in a blur. After driving back to California and getting all of their affairs in order, the team (with the exclusion of Mia), turned themselves in. Vince was the only unlucky one. He was spotted by a police officer before he had a chance to walk into the precinct and was tackled to the ground, injuring his arm even more. A day and a half later, they all walked free. Mark and Manuel had held up their end of the deal and had the case against the team thrown out due to insufficient and circumstantial evidence.

Life for the team was everything but normal at this point. Word on the street about the case being thrown out catapulted the team's popularity. They were known as the outlaws now, doing things their way. Everywhere they went, people would step aside and let them through. No one challenged them, in fear that they would reap the consequences. They were infamous.

Dominic Toretto ruled the streets on a completely different level now and he liked it. He was raking in the money now. Every one wanted a chance to take him on. It was now an honor to lose to the great Dominic Toretto. The one and only. Except that he was saddened every time he won a race because he didn't have his trophy by his side. He didn't have Letty looking over his shoulder, protecting him. Now she stood on the side lines with Mia and watched the races. Now he sat in his car and looked at her in his rearview mirror. And before every race, he would say a prayer. For all of them.

Mia found herself falling into her school work and the books for the garage and the store more and more every day. Her day consisted of work and more work. Just the way she liked it. It kept her busy. She didn't have any extra time to kill. She didn't have any friends. She didn't need any. She didn't need another intruder to come and disrupt her family. And yet, she dreamt of him every night. She looked for him everywhere she went. She wished her would come back and take her away from everything. But she knew he was long gone. He needed to be, if he didn't want to die at her hands.

Leon was lost. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't disturb that room. He would enter it and sit down on the edge of the bed, studying every inch of it. Remembering his little brother. He did this at least once a day, usually when he thought of picking up his things and leaving. That was just how him and Jesse had ended up in Echo Park, in Dom's graces. They left Nevada and just stared driving. Ended up at the races. Caught Dom's eye and got a job at the garage. The rest was history. Their history.

Letty shrugged the tension in the house off and fell back into her normal routine. All except Dom. He was the only part of her old life that she didn't have. She still missed him but she was enjoying discovering her new life without him. Discovering what she had missed out on by becoming his at the age of 16. She was discovering herself.

Matty fell back into her old ways. Work. Time with the team. Races. Party. She had become Dom's number two down at the races. It's not like she could spend her time raising babies or with her new boo. She only had eyes for Vince and since he wouldn't look twice at her, she found herself lonely. She would crawl into her bed in the basement and stifle her cries with her pillow, since she was currently sharing a room with Letty. They were both in the same boat, but Letty seemed to be having more fun, while she was rapidly sinking.

Very much like Matty, Vince slipped back into his old ways. Sleeping with anything that had a pulse and looked interested. He couldn't really do any work down at the garage because of him arm, mostly paint jobs. It didn't matter, he had enough money left over from the heists to keep him busy for a while. He worked. He drank. He fucked. And then he crawled into his bed alone. No one to keep the nightmares away or to comfort him when he woke up in the middle of the night with chills in his arms. No one to try to make him feel whole once again. He needed to feel.


	25. Jealous

Matty strutted down the sidelines of the races, checking out the action. She was in her prime. She felt nothing and had nothing to lose. The crowd went wild as she did her walk of victory. The same one she did every time she raced. Every time she won. The roars sent chills down her spine, letting her know that she was still alive. That there was something left to live for. If not for herself, then for her fans.

Her hips moved to the heavy bass pumping out of one of the nearby cars and she climbed on top of it, putting on a good show. No doubt she was drunk, he thought to himself, as she waved the bottle of tequila in her hand around. She had become Dom #2. She had become him. Race, party, wake up the next morning only to puke and sleep some more. She thought her life would do as is, but after she puked, she doubled her dose, feeling herself slipping.

Vince watched as she lived it up. He threw his good arm around some blonde bimbo he had met five minutes before and told her how good she looked. Her response of course, was to throw herself on top of him. He loved it. He didn't care if the only reason the skanks were running around after him was because of his status. He didn't care as long as the lights in his bedroom were off and they didn't ask questions about his arm. As soon as they were done, they could see themselves out. He didn't care.

---

Letty sat down on the back porch, tears streaming down her face. She took a swig of her beer and took a pull of the cigarette in between her fingers. "Since when did you start smoking?" A deep voice, sending shiver throughout her body. "Takes the edge off," she whispered, taking another pull, then a swig. Dom walked out of the shadows and towards her, leaning against the porch railing. "Takes the edge off what?" He asked, taking a drink from his own beer bottle.

She scoffed, shaking her head sadly. "Never mind this," she said, standing up and stumbling towards the door. Dom reached out and steadied her with a simple touch on the arm. She pulled away, a look of disgust on her face. "What do you want? You haven't said a single word to me in months," she spat out, taking another pull of her cigarette. He shrugged. "I just wanted to see how things were going. See how you were dealing with being back," he said. Letty turned and faced him, a tear sliding down her face. "You want to come upstairs and give me a massage? Tell you all about how I'm dealing," she said.

Dom's only response was opening the back door for her and ushering her in.

---

Matty slid down on her ass and made her way down the basement stairs, cursing every time she felt a splinter breaking her skin. The sun was out and she managed to make it past Leon and Mia without being noticed, still drunk from the previous night's events. She heard a bedroom door open and froze, hoping that they were going to the bathroom and not heading for the stairs. She growled when she realized that the blonde bimbo from last night's races was slithering her way out of Vince's room. The bimbo walked up the stairs and brushed right past Matty, who couldn't resist reaching out and tripping the girl, causing her face to go flying into the stairs.

The bimbo began to scream as she realized the amount of blood gushing from her nose. Matty heard footsteps upstairs running towards the basement door. Before she knew it, Mia and Leon were standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at her. "What the fuck, Mat?" Leon said, reaching down and helping the bimbo up. Matty shrugged and chuckled, looking up at them. "I thought her face needed some rearranging," she said, clearly slurring her words.

She turned back around to continue her descent and found Vince at the foot of the stairs, staring at her. "Cover yourself up. You look disgusting," he spat out, heading up the stairs and brushing past her. Matty looked down at herself and realized that she was a mini skirt and that her shirt was M.I.A. "Where's your shirt?" Mia asked, heading down the stairs and stopping at Matty's level. "I don't know," she responded as Mia helped her stand up.

"I don't know how long you two plan on playing this game," Mia whispered, helping Matty down the stairs and into her room. She shut the door behind her and shook her head softly. Somebody has to knock some sense into these two, Mia thought to herself.

---

"How long are you two gonna do this song and dance, knowing that you both are itching to be together once again," Mia said, slamming a plate of food in front of Vince. "Seriously, Mi. This is none of your business," he said, picking up a fork and digging into the food. "I'm not gonna let up about this Vince. Everyone has their issues to deal with but what you're putting that girl through is torture. She came back Vince. That's all that matters. She's here now. Get over yourself and take her back."

He slammed his good hand down on the table and pushed the plate of food away, standing up from the table. "I know it hurt when everything with the Buster went down. Except he didn't run away into another woman's arm. If anything, she tortured me for almost a God damn year," he yelled, disappearing seconds later down into the basement, leaving Mia staring after him.

---

"What does this mean for us?" Letty asked, looking over at Dom who was currently stretched out on the floor, like old times. When Letty lived at home, Dom would sneak into her room or she would sneak into his. They would take turns sleeping on the bed, the other would bring a sleeping bag. They would talk for hours or watch a movie, falling asleep when the sun came out. Just like old times.

"A fresh beginning?" He asked, standing up from the bed and placing a kiss on her forehead.

---

Matty cursed as she brushed away the spilled coffee from her shirt. Her only clean dressy shirt. She was currently dressed in her black slacks, boots and what used to be a clean white button down. She shed the shirt, walking through the basement in a bra. She turned the light on in the bathroom and stepped inside in, proceeding to try and remove the coffee from her shirt. She needed to salvage it. She couldn't do her weekly Sunday ritual of visiting Hector's grave in a coffee stained shirt.

She jumped and screamed, as she felt a hand reach out and touch her back. Matty flipped around and felt her heart trying to escape her chest as she realized it was Vince. He stood in front of her, a sad look on his face. "What's with the tattoo?" He whispered. "The three most important things in my life that I've lost," she whispered, slamming the door shut in his face.

Vince stood back, running a hand over his face. He had already burned the tattoo into the back of his mind. He had already memorized the mural she had on her back. It was an open chest and it there was a small portrait of Hector, baby foot prints and his name in script. He placed his hand on the door and sighed, a tear running down his face.


	26. Gone

They all watched time and time again as Matty tried to get in Vince's good graces, but he refused to let her in. Refused to acknowledge her. They didn't know how much longer they could watch or let him do that to her. They didn't know how much longer she would hang on.

Matty did her victory strut once again and lived for the cheering crowd. Vince as usual, was watching her do her thing and hating every second of it. Another skank hanging off his arm. Another usual race night for all of them. Mia counted the money. Dom and Letty did a lap around to all the cars and racers. Leon manned the scanners. They were all engrossed in their own little worlds and didn't notice the blonde bimbo from the night before approaching.

Before she knew it, Matty was on her knees, grabbing onto the side of her head. The bimbo had broken a beer bottle over it. The crowd silenced as Matty stood up and glared at the skank. She pulled her hand back from her head and watched as the blood trickled from her fingertips, splattering on the ground. "You're fucked," Matty whispered before lunging at the girl. The two fell to the ground and exchanged blows, with Matty getting the upper hand. She was the experienced street brawler. The blonde bimbo didn't know what had hit her.

Someone pulled them apart, knowing that Matty would destroy her- ultimately killing her if no one put a stop to their fight. As Matty pushed the person that was holding her back off of her, she heard someone in the crowd yell cops. She glanced down at the woman laying at her feet and smirked. "See you next time around," she said to her and staggered towards her car, as the crowd ran around wild, getting into their cars and taking off.

Matty jumped into her car and sped off, trying her best not to crash into something or someone. She wasn't exactly in the best condition to drive, but she couldn't risk staying there and getting arrested. She drove around for a while after losing the cops and found herself back when she had begun. The house her and Hector used to live in. She parked across the street and drank it in.

It was painted a different color now and apparently kids lived there now. The front yard was littered with toys and bikes. She was glad that the house went to a family and not some….. Matty didn't finish her thought. She passed out as the sun was coming up over the horizon.

---

"She's not back yet, V. I called her cell. I called her friends. I'm worried," Mia said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Vince shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee and continuing to read the newspaper. "Oh, don't act like you're not worried. I heard you up the entire night. Pacing and strumming your guitar," she said, snatching the newspaper out of his hand. "She is out there injured and we don't knowing anything about her. You remember what happened last time she disappeared," Mia continued.

Vince snorted and snatched the newspaper back. It was all a front, he had been reading the same sentence for the last twenty minutes. His mind was racing as he thought up all the things that could've happened to her. Mia was right. He was a mess. He didn't sleep a wink last night. He was too anxious. Kept checking his cell phone. Kept calling her private. Kept checking his clock. Kept walking past her room, thinking maybe she snuck past him without him noticing. He knew he was a mess. Acting all psycho stalker. But he needed to know. Needed confirmation that she wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere. He needed her by his side.

---

Matty groaned as she dragged her achy body out of her car and up the steps towards the house. Before she could put her key in, the door swung open and Vince stood before her- a pissed off look on his face. "Where the fuck were you?" He barked, yanking her inside the house. Mia emerged from the kitchen after here all the commotion. Matty laughed in his face and walked away from him, heading towards the door. "Don't walk away from me. Answer me!" He yelled after her.

Matty turned around and glanced at Mia. "We were worried about you, Matty," Mia said, placing a hand on her arm. Matty sighed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "After I ditched the cops, I went for a drive. Ended up at my old place. Fell asleep. I'm sorry," she muttered, turning around and flipping Vince off before continuing her descent towards her room.

"See, Mia. The bitch is perfectly fine. Now you can get off my back," Vince muttered, making his way towards the couch. Mia walked over to him in record time and flipped him around, only to wind up smacking him across the face. He stood back, shocked at her outburst. "At least she came back, V. She didn't just up and leave you. She came back and made everything right. She came back," Mia said, tears streaming down her face.

Vince stared after her, at a loss for words. He understood what she was going through. He understood the pain that was currently ripping her apart. He had gone through it. He knew that the only cure was if the Buster returned. Just how his heart stopped hurting when Mattycame back.

---

"Is it ready? Did you guys plan out every detail? I don't want anything to go wrong," Mia said, a small smile on her face. Letty rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Mia, we've been over this shit like ten times today. It's not gonna get any better than this," Dom said, as he pulled the ski mask over his face. "No talking. They'll recognize our voices and then we're screwed. We'll just come up from behind. Give them the note and take their car keys away. Dom, you handle the gun. Leon, you tie them up, put the duct tape on and blindfold them. Letty, you shove them into the van. I'll watch them and make sure they don't try to escape," Mia said, pulling her ski mask over her face.


	27. Intervention

The van came to a screeching halt and she heard the door open. Hands wrapped around her arms and dragged her out of the van, throwing her on the ground. She heard a thud next to her and tried to stand up. She felt her wrists come un-done and then heard the scurrying of feet. She ripped her blindfold off and saw two figures dressed in black wearing ski masks, hop back into the van. The van took off, tire marks in their place.

She glanced over and saw a body on the ground next to her. She removed the duct tape on her mouth and scoffed. "You gotta be fucking me." Matty rolled her eyes and untied Vince's hands. "Please tell me this is isn't some sort of half cocked intervention on the team's part," she said, running a hand through her hair. Vince pulled his blind fold off and rolled his eyes at the sight of her. He pulled the duct tape on his lips off and groaned. "Believe me, sister. I want to be here less than you do," he said.

"You look ridiculous," V said, motioning to her current outfit. She was currently clad in a pair of tube socks and a work shirt, her hair in a messy bun. "I just woke up from a nap. And I'm sure this looks just as ridiculous on me as it does on you," she said. That's when he leaned in and read the name embroidered on her work shirt. Vince. "Let me guess, those are my socks also," he said, standing up from the ground and looking around him.

They were currently at a deserted beach and there looked like there was nobody around to ask for help or for a lift. "I'm guessing they'll come around when the sun goes down. So if you want, you can walk around and what not and let me be," he said, shooing her off. Matty grunted and shook her head. "Maybe they went through all this trouble because they want us to talk. Not to chew our heads off and fight to the death, but to have a real conversation."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "There's nothing left to talk about, Matty. Just let it go. Stop trying to make this better when you can't," he said, shedding his shoes and socks and walking down the shore. She chased after him, pushing him from behind. "Fuck you, V. I am done. I am tired of running around after you like a puppy. I am tired of trying to get your attention. I am tired of-" She was cut off by him, pushing her down into the sand.

"If you're tired, then why are you still here? When you left, you could've kept going. No one made you come back!" He yelled at her. Matty fell back into the sand and stared up at the darkening sky, her chest heaving. "I was gone without you. I didn't leave the house. Refused to eat. I was dying off slowly. I know that if I didn't find you and bring you back home, I would die," she whispered, her fingers digging in the sand.

He dropped his shoes and pulled his shirt off before sitting in the sand next to her, staring off into the distance. She stared up at him, his back facing her. Matty watched as the muscles in his back moved as he fidgeted with his hands. She felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest, as she reached up and ran her hands over the tattoos that covered his back, specifically one.

It was recent, she could tell by the distressed skin. It was almost the same as hers. Except his chest held a guitar, baby foot prints and a small portrait of her. "The three most important things in my life," he whispered. Matty sat up in the sand and pressed her face against his back, inhaling his scent. She reached around and placed her hands on his chest, digging her fingers into him as she cried.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, for the baby, I mean," he whispered, placing his hands over hers. "You gotta believe me, Vince. I never slept with him. I never loved him. It's always been you, V. Always," she replied, pulling away from him and wiping the tears off of her face. "I should apologize for not being there when you needed me the most. I was so worried that I would never be able to see you again," Matty continued.

He turned around and faced him, grabbing her head from behind and bringing her lips to his. Their mouths crushed together, as his beard scraped against her skin, making her shiver. She moaned, wrapping her arms around him and throwing herself on top of him. "Don't you ever leave me again," he whispered, against her mouth. Matty smiled and stared into his eyes, both of them crying in sync.

"Alright, kiddies. Time to go home," a deep voice rumbled behind them. Matty and Vince turned, finding Dom behind them, his arms crossed over his chest. A smile on his face. Matty and Vince turned back to each other and laughed. "Some intervention, huh?" V said, smiling at her. She reached up and ran a hand over his cheek. "Come on, I think it's time we went down in the basement and took part in some rehab."

---

When they arrived at the van, they found the rest of the team waiting for them. "We didn't exactly know how it would turn out, so we waited around and hoped that you didn't try to drown each other," Dom said, motioning to the giddy Mia. She lunged for Matty and Vince, throwing her arms around both of them. "I'm so happy you guys were able to work things out," she shrieked in their ears.

"Come on, guys. I'm sure the two lovebirds wanna get home and get back into the hump of things. Literally," Letty said, peeling Mia off of them and dragging her back into the van. Twenty minutes later, the van stopped at the fort and V growled. "What the fuck is this?" He asked, motioning to all the tuner cars that were parked in front of the house. From the heavy music pulsating from the house, he was able to deduce that there was a party in full swing.

"I figured you guys would enjoy a good party, a good drink then go downstairs and fuck each other's brains out. I also figured that the party would help drown both of you out," Leon snickered, in the driver's seat. He turned the van off and they all exited it, walking into the house. The occupants cheered as the team entered, glad to see that the war between Matty and Vince was done.

Vince wrapped an arm around Matty, bringing her in close to him, inhaling her scent. Loving the fact that she was dressed in his work shirt. A hand reached out and held out a Corona to him. He pulled away from Matty and embraced the man in front of him. Vince laughed as he spotted a Snapple in his other hand. "I gotta go and get in her good graces man," Brian said, motioning to the girl in the other corner.

Dom stepped towards the two men and glared at the smaller one. "It's okay, Dom. The buster's with me," Vince said, as Mia stepped towards them. "Come on, we need a shower," Matty whispered, dragging Vince towards the stairs. "Yeah, I need a massage," Letty stated, pushing Dom towards the stairs, leaving Mia and Brian alone.

They stared at each other as Brian held the Snapple up and smiled at her. "Come on. Let's get you a drink," she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the kitchen.


	28. Promise

The seven team members stood in a circle in the backyard, each with a drink in their hands. The party was starting to die off and they all needed a bit of fresh air to deal with all the change. "Guys, can we say a prayer for Jess and Hector," Leon whispered, taking a sip of his beer. Every one nodded in silence, but nobody made a move to say anything.

Matty glanced up at V and wrapped an arm around his waist, a sweet smile on her face. "Hey, Jess and Hector. It's Matty," she said, her voice cracking. "Miss you tons, boos. I guess you can tell by now that things had a crazy way of working out. Vince finally got his head out of his ass and took me back. Letty and Dom are done taking turns at each other. The Buster finally found his way home. And I know this all happened because you were up there guiding us," Matty said, pointing up to the sky, tears streaming down her face.

"So here's to our future," Vince said, lifting his beer and toasting the sky. "Actually, we have something else to share and to toast to," Dom said, lifting his beer also. "I wanna toast to our family and the angels looking after us. And to the future Jesse Eduardo or Jessa Emilia that will be joining us soon," he said, glancing over at Letty. She laughed, rubbing her stomach. "I'm not pregnant yet. But we're trying," she said, wrapping her arms around his stomach.

"You see, all cuz of you two," Leon said, slapping Dom on the back and hugging him. "Actually, I got one more thing for them. Well, if Hector okays it," Vince said, turning and facing Matty. The rest of the team stayed hushed as V dropped to one knee and stared up at Matty. She froze, her breath catching in her throat as he reached for her hand. "I don't have a ring or much to offer. But losing you and having Mia kick my ass over it, showed me what my life was missing. You," he stated, a hopeful look on his face.

Matty glanced around at what is now her family and watched as they smiled at her, nudging her to say yes. She shook her head sadly and pulled her hand away from Vince. "No," she whispered, her heart dropping at the devastated look on Vince's face. He stood up and stared at her, not understanding. Tears began to slip down her face as she stammered out a reason. Vince brushed the tears away with his thumbs and stared into her eyes. "There's no one to give me away," she whispered, her body trembling.

Dom cleared his throat and smiled at her. "If you would let me and if Letty hasn't killed me by then, it would be an honor to walk you down the aisle," he said, making her cry harder. Matty pulled away from Vince and walked over to Dom, wrapping him in a hug. She stepped back and drank them all in.

Mia, who taught her how to be graceful. Who showed her what a real mother was like. Mia who made sure she had enough clean work shirts to last the week. Mia, who as annoying as she was, was part of her family.

Letty, who showed her how to throw down. Letty, who showed her that there was nothing wrong with being in charge or in giving them orders. Letty, who felt like the sister she never had.

Dom, who was her overbearing brute. Her protective father. Although they had their differences, he took her in. He gave her a home. A family. Dom, who opened his arms to her.

Leon, who had become her brother. Leon, who had filled Hector's shoes. Leon, who didn't judge her. He was a part of her now. Even if it was the part that annoyed her.

Vince. Oh boy, Vince. He was a handful. But she didn't know what it was about him that made her happy when they weren't killing each other. Vince, who held her hand through out her crazy bullshit. Vince, who soothed her soul.

They all were apart of her now.

"It's been a rough last year or so. Hector. Me. My father. The baby. But there's always been someone by my side. You guys. So it would be an honor to have all of you walk me down the aisle, if Dom is willing to give up his place. You all gotta give me away. If not, then I'm not marrying him," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. They all hooted and hollered at her declaration, giving their approval.

"We're all in this together. We all would love to walk down the aisle with you. Considering Vince and you are gonna need all the help you can get, in order not to kill each other," Mia said, squealing as she wrapped her arms around Brian. Matty turned back to Vince and smiled at him.

"Ask me again, coyote," she demanded. Leon scoffed and doubled over in laughter. "Well if that doesn't foreshadow whats to come for our newlywed coyote," he said. Vince flipped him off and walked over to Matty, picking her up off her feet. "Marry me?" He asked, burying his face in her side. "Name the date, name the time," she replied, placing a kiss on his forehead. "Promise?"

"I promise."


	29. Parties

Letty shook her head as Mia and Matty danced on top of a table, tequila bottles in their hands. She sighed softly as she took a sip from her Snapple and glanced down at the protruding belly she was currently sporting. It was almost a year since Vince's proposal and since her and Dom's announcement. She was due any day now and her and her baby were currently witnessing as the entire racing community destroyed the local bar.

For Vince's and Matty's joint bachelor and bachelorette party, they had rented out the local bar and decided to have enough female and male strippers for all of them. Letty was the only one that wasn't allowed to enjoy, seeing as she was the only sober one, she didn't really feel like having some random guy shaking his sweaty ass in her face.

She turned to the stripper that was currently all up in Vince's face and told her to beat it, as she noticed Matty staggering her intoxicated ass towards them. Matty smiled at the stripper as she walked by, and slipped into the booth, right up to her soon to be husband. Vince threw an arm around her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"God, you guys smell like you've been making out with the bar room floor," Letty said, cringing as Dom wrapped his arm around her neck. "It'sssss okay baby. I shower before bed," he slurred into her ear. She almost threw up in her mouth and pushed him away. "Alright, we all need to go home now. You all need a good scrubbing, a good throw up, some meds and hopefully you'll be able to get up in time for the wedding," she said, sliding out of the booth and motioning for them to do so also.

"Aww come on, Let. I got Dom to give me an advance on my pay for this week. I gotta spend this money," Leon said, a big pout on his face. Letty shook her head and sighed. "Dom, you gave him an advance? You do realize tomorrow he's gonna be begging for another one," she said, pulling him out of the booth and pushing him towards the door.

With all the good byes and the slow, drunk staggered walking, it took Letty 30 minutes to get them all in the van. As she pulled up to the house, Leon pulled the van door open and hopped out. She watched as he threw up all over Mia's bushes and shook her head sadly. "When Mia sees that tomorrow, heads will roll," she whispered to herself.

---

Vince and Matty leaned on each other as they exited the basement's bathroom, steam escaping with them. "Best shower ever," Matty mumbled, as she stood in front of the bed. "That's cause I did all the hard work," Vince replied, as he ran a comb through her hair. She pushed his hand away and reached down, pulling the towel around his waist off. "I gotta detangle your hair or tomorrow Mia's gonna have a fucking fit," he said, continuing to comb her now shoulder length hair.

He watched as she tried to stand still, only managing to do so by reaching out and steadying herself on him. "Did you double check the flower order with the caterer?" She asked, reaching up and playing with his beard. He cocked an eyebrow and laughed at her question. "Sure did, wifey. Did it this morning after I called the priest and double checked our times with him."

She nodded eagerly, grabbing the comb from his hand and throwing it across the room. "If you ever cut your beard, I'll never put out," she said, nuzzling her face in it. Vince laughed and wrapped his arms around her body. "I wish you would've let me take you to a nice hotel. Not spend the night before our wedding in this basement," he whispered, letting go of her and pulling the covers on the bed back.

Matty shed her towel and slid into the bed, her body shivering. V turned off the light and slid in next to her, her body already waiting for him. She placed her head on his chest and one leg between his, an arm over his stomach. "We're already breaking the bank with the wedding. We don't need a fancy hotel, V. I'm perfectly fine here forever," she said, before burping.

"Aww that was gross, Matilda. Shit smelled like tequila," Vince said, covering his nose. She whispered a sorry and slapped him on the chest. "You better get used to it. If I have to put up with you stinking up the bathroom, you can deal with a drunk burp here and there," she said. V puffed his chest out and scoffed. "I don't stink up the bathroom. That's all Leon there," he said, defending himself.

It was Matty's turn to scoff as she sat up in bed. "V, I've seen you eat an entire whole chicken by yourself. Along with mashed potatoes, rice, beans, corn and potato salad. You can out eat everyone in this house put together. Don't tell me it's Leon, when I know it's you," she said, her eyes drawn to slits.

He laughed before reaching up and drawing her closer to him. He placed a kiss on her forehead before ravaging her mouth with his. She moaned, climbing on top of him and straddling him. He rubbed her back and he continued to kiss her tenderly, feeling like it was the first kiss all over again. He reached over to the nightstand, opening the top drawer and pulling out a condom. As he went to open the package, Matty reached out and stopped him. "Would it be bad if we had a little Mexican running around?" She whispered.

Vince took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He placed the condom back in the drawer and shut it quietly. Matty began to fidget, not liking Vince's reaction. "Just as long as he can pronounce his last name," he said, a smile on his face. She shrieked, not really caring about if any one was sleeping. Matty laid her head on his chest and giggled. "Make me yours, V," she whispered.

He chuckled as he flipped them over and he ended up on top of her. "That's in a couple of hours, sweet heart. But you can settle for mind blowing sex," he whispered in her ear, entering her and making her gasp. She dug her nails into his back and moaned, as they began to work their hips in sync.

An hour or so later, they fell asleep in each others arms. Dreaming of sweet nothings and the most awaited days or their lives so far. Matty was excited, thrilled to be walking down the aisle. Vince on the other hand… was a mess. A horrible mess.


	30. Slight Changes

"Oh God, Mi. I'm gonna be the worst wife ever," Matty said, as she stood up from her perch next to the toilet and rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash. "You'll be fine. Letty is upstairs getting you some seltzer. It'll settle your stomach and let this be a lesson. No more heavy drinking before important events the next day," Mia said, pushing the soon to be wife towards her vanity stand.

She glanced at the clock and began to grab her makeup brushes. "Alright, we have two hours to finish up here and get down to the church," Letty said, as she entered the room with a glass. She shoved it towards the girl and began to tear up as the photographer took pictures of them. Mia shook her head and glared at Letty.

"Alright, I know you're pregnant and all but enough with the crying. I've already had to fix your makeup twice today," Mia said. Letty cleared her throat and wiped the tears away. "I just can't believe that V is a goner now. No more ole coyote," Letty said, smoothing out her red satin dress over her belly. The three girls laughed as they thought about how much their lives had changed over the past two years. The photographer looked at them wild eyed as they began to share some of their craziest memories.

----

Vince groaned as he struggled with his tie. "Come here, you big oaf, before you rip the damn thing to shreds," Dom said, reaching out and fixing the grooms tie. "You sure that everything is set up? Any last minute concerns I want to know," V said, putting his cufflinks on. "Will you relax already? Jesus, V. You're gonna send me into a panic attack," Leon yelled from across the room, where he was looking in the mirror and combing his hair.

"How you feeling?" Dom asked, taking in his pale friend. V shrugged and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "You sure this is the right thing, Dom? What if she changes her mind when she gets down there and runs off," he replied, beginning to ramble. Dom shook his head and placed his hands on his best friend's shoulders. He stared at him and laughed.

"You're a goner. There is no way in hell you're not getting married today. Even if she has to hit you over the head with a rock, carry you into the car and drive to Vegas. No way in hell is Matty letting you get away from her once again," Dom said, turning his friend around and pushing him towards the door.

---

Matty sat back in the limo and began to fidget with her hands. She eyed the platinum engagement ring V had gotten her the day after he proposed and she smiled, knowing that she was minutes away from being a Mrs. She glanced out the window, having memorized the route to the church months ago. Her eyebrows scrunched together as the limo turned to the left, instead of making a right. "What the hell?" She said, going for the partition button.

She stopped when she saw Mia holding up a blindfold that looked very familiar. "Not another intervention, Mi. I don't have time for this. I'm gonna be late to my own wedding," Matty said. "You'll be fine. And it's not an intervention. Seems that there were some slight changes to the plans. Just let Mia put the blindfold on and no one gets hurts," Letty said, a smile on her face.

Matty groaned and let Mia blindfold her, promising death after the honeymoon. The limo stopped and the door opened. She felt hands reach out and guide her out of the limo. Mia and Letty directed her and told her when to step and not to.

They told her to stand right there and shoved what she could only imagine was a bouquet in her hand. Matty jumped when she heard her entrance music play. The blindfold fell from her eyes and she stood there wide eyed.

They were in a backyard, not the church they had originally planned to get married in. All their friends and family were already there, watching her- smiles on all their faces. She glanced behind her and found Dom, Vince, Mia, and Letty walking up to her. They all linked arms and smiled at her. "You ready, Mrs. Mancelli?" Dom asked, motioning to the altar.

Matty nodded and they began their walk up the aisle. She glanced around the backyard and discovered that all her plans with the exception of the location, were still being followed to a tee. The place was decorated in red tulips, her favorite. She glanced around at all their friends and smiled.

Vince stood at the altar and watched her come towards him. She was dressed in a wedding gown her and Mia had spent weeks planning. Matty looked like she had stepped out of a fairytale and was there to make this a happily ever after ending. When she finally made it to the altar, Vince hugged everyone that was giving her away before reaching for her hand and flipping her veil over.

"Where are we V?" She whispered, as he flipped her veil. "You don't recognize this place? Your old home. Our new home, so says the deed," Vince replied as they turned around and faced the priest. Matty glanced back and laughed out loud as she realized that they were getting married in the backyard of the house that she lived in with Hector. She began to tear as she realized that Vince had bought the house and made it their new home.

And the rest was history…..


	31. Done Waiting

The team watched as Mia and Brian danced, laughing as they did a half turn. "The Buster can't dance for shit," Vince said, placing a kiss on his wife. They all seconded that as Mia came flying towards them, grabbing on to her foot. "The idiot stepped on me," she said, pouting. Brian came up behind her and threw an arm around her. "I told you, I can't dance for shit," he said.

They were currently down by the beach where they were holding the reception. They stood at the shore, digging their feet into the moist stand, watching as the other guests danced and drank the night away. The sun was due to come up any minute now, but no one had any plans of going home anytime soon. They were celebrating- the Toretto way.

"So what now?" Leon asked, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, his tie unloosened and his shirt untucked. They all shrugged, as they looked over at the horizon and saw the sun peeking over at them. "I'm done waiting for something good to happen to me. I got everything I need right here," Matty said, wrapping herself around Vince. He looked down at her and smiled, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yep. I think I'm done waiting too. My water just broke," Letty said, grabbing on to the front of Dom's shirt. Everyone smiled at each other, not believing their ears. "Never a dull day in our lives, huh?" Mia said. Dom picked Letty up, a big smile on his face, as he raced towards the cars.

They all followed, or struggled too. Matty's arms gave up on holding the heavy dress up and running at the same time through the thick sand. "Vince! Pick me up!" She shouted at him, eliciting a laugh from Leon. "See, I told you so!" Leon said. Vince ran towards her and threw her over his shoulder like as if she weighed nothing.

They raced towards the hospital to welcome the newest addition to the family. Jesse Eduardo Toretto. Jesse after their great mad scientist. Eduardo after Hector's middle name. They all gathered around Letty as she held her newborn baby boy. They had great hopes for what was to come in the future. They knew this baby would bring the best out of all of them. Hell, this baby had four great angels watching over it and seven solders that were willing to do anything to protect it.

They were done waiting for the next big thing. The next big job. The next big race.

This was it. This was what they had all been waiting for.

Friendship. Family. Love. Life.

*The End*


End file.
